Glad you're back
by BBCRules95
Summary: Tony gets seriously injured on a mission. No one knows what the situation will end up like. Pepper will have to cope with being CEO, her feelings and taking care of Tony. Set after IM2, but Pep didn't quit. How will she manage? Will Tony be all right? Quite a lot of Pepperony, but I'll bring in others as well ; Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**There you go Pepperony fans! For now it's just a first, short chapter, but I'll update more as soon as I get a chance. This is just an introduction **

**At the moment I'm also working on 'One and the same', feel welcome to have a look at it as well.**

**So…there you go!**

Pepper was sitting in Tony's living room, nervously typing at her computer. She knew that the report could wait, but she needed something to keep her busy. She tried her best to remain focused on the task, but her eyes kept drifting away towards the clock and her mind towards what Tony was doing at the moment.

Pepper hated it when he was away on missions. Some of them took just a couple of hours, but they seemed like months. Her imagination didn't make the waiting easier. The woman kept thinking about all the possible things that could go wrong and get Tony hurt…or worse.

She went to the kitchen and put the kettle on. The water was boiling and boiling and boiling. As if it would never stop and as if Tony would never return. Another nervous glance at the clock told her that he had been gone for seven hours and ten minutes. She had already calculated it all inside her head, reaching a conclusion that if everything went according to Tony's plans, the assignment would take him exactly seven hours and fifteen minutes. The kettle popped, signaling to her that the water was ready. At the same, she heard a loud bang, which could mean only one thing. _Tony was back._ And he forgot to use the door again.

Pepper put the coffee down. She felt relieved, but a bit annoyed at the same time. She could bear Tony smashing roofs, but she would have to admit to him that she was wrong about being so worried. And being wrong she hated. Tony would shoot her this smug grin of his and give her a hug. And then they would have the whole evening for themselves. She couldn't wait, so she headed straight down the stairs to Tony's workshop.

As she typed in her access code and entered the room, she saw bits of the Ironman suit lying all around the room. Jarvis had just finished helping Tony out of its remains and Pepper started getting gradually more and more worried, as she walked towards her boyfriend.

'Dear God, are you all right? You look horrible? What is all this mess?' she couldn't stop the flow of questions.

'Horrible? Well you look amazing, as always. It's a long story, but I'm fine. See?' he smiled at her and outstretched his arms towards her, waiting for an embrace. 'It's just a couple of bruises, nothing more.' Pepper knew there was no point in arguing, so she continued walking towards Tony, doing her best to avoid tripping over a piece of the armour. As she got closer to him, she thought that he looked extremely pale and 'a couple of bruises' was a couple more than usually. But she wouldn't complain for now. She just wanted to enjoy his presence.

They wrapped their arms around each other and kissed delicately. Tony looked Pepper in the eyes, and tried to smile, but surprisingly, didn't succeed. He just puller Pepper closer to himself.

She wrapped her arms around his waist even tighter and heard a quiet hiss coming from him. Something was wrong, she realized her hands were now dripping with something. She let go of Tony and realized that the 'something' was blood.

Tony had just enough time to register the terrified expression on Pepper's face. Then he couldn't control anything anymore. His knees buckled under his weight and as he hit the floor, everything turned black.

**That's it FOR NOW. Please review. This is my first couple fanfic, as I'm not the most romantic person there is. But Tony and Pepper are just sooooo awesome, I couldn't resist giving it a go. As it's my first time writing sth like that, I especially need YOUR FEEDBACK, so please spare me a minute and do leave a comment ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! THEY GET ME REALLY PUMPED UP AND MOTIVATED ;) I REALLY HOPE THAT I WON'T LET YOU DOWN WITH THIS CHAPTER. I'm not really sure about the part with Tony, so tell me what you think. **

**I hope you will enjoy it. Ladies and Gentlemen, chapter 2:**

'Just calm down Pep, I'll be there in a minute, ok?'

'Mhm,' was all Pepper managed to murmur in reply. Rhodey saying that out loud, really made her realize that panic wouldn't help with anything. She knew she could always rely on him and more importantly, that Tony could rely on him. Him and the best doctors in America that Rhodey could get in a few minutes' time. 'JARVIS? Are you there?' Pepper asked.

The AI responded immediately. 'For you always. I assume you would like me to tell you what has occurred here.'

'Yes, yes, just make it quick.' She felt like she needed to do something to help Tony and not just sit there and watch him bleed to death. But then her pragmatic side and the first aid course she took, told her not to touch him at all.

'Mr. Stark has got himself shot by an experimental chemical missile while coming back from Brasil. The impact did quite a lot of damage. But hopefully all wounds can heal. I would be more concerned about the 'chemical' part of the statement. The used combination of elements can cause permanent paralysis, neurological damage…' the AI kept on talking but Pepper stopped listening ages ago. She just sat down next to Tony on the floor and caught his right hand in hers, squeezing it tightly. Again, seconds seemed to be hours and the minutes she would spend waiting would feel like eternity. Pepper couldn't stop tears coming to her eyes as the scarlet paddle around Tony's body seemed to be getting bigger and bigger and the blue glow of the arch reactor was flickering continuously.

After a couple of tense minutes she heard a delicate bang of a helicopter landing and seconds after that Rhodey was next to her, holding her in his arms. He left Tony to the medics, who immediately put him on the stretcher and rushed out of the room. Rhodey stroked Pepper's back and led her to the sofa. They sat in silence for a while. Then Pepper sprang up and walked towards the exit.

'Rhodey, can you drive me to the hospital please?' Her voice was still shaking.

'Go upstairs, clean yourself up and then I'll get you to Tony, right?' the man replied. He knew that his best friend was in a lot of trouble, but he needed to take care of Pepper for him, so there was no room for sentiments. The woman opened her mouth and was about to speak in protest, but Rhodey cut her off. 'Listen, I know you're worried, so am I. But your tears are the last thing he needs now.'

Pepper knew the man was right. Tony would hate to see her in that state.

'Can you wait in the living room then?' Without waiting for a reply , she headed towards the bathroom.

###

The ride to the hospital was absolute torture for both of them. Pepper kept asking 'What if…?' questions to herself and coming up with more and more depressing answers. Rhodey was quiet, but apparently had difficulties with focusing on what was ahead of him on the road. Once he almost crashed into a navy SUV, after driving through a crossing when the red light had told him to stop.

Having asked for Tony at reception they have been both directed to the top floor of the building. When the lift had arrived at its destination, Rhodey and Pepper both realized that the corridor and all rooms were completely empty. They bumped into a nurse finally.

'Hello, we're looking for…' Rhodey started, but didn't get to finish the sentence.

'I know. This is a special unit, reserved for SHIELD and its associates. Unfortunately, I can't give you any direct information now, but you're welcome to stay in the waiting lounge. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me. Doctor Spin will be available to you when he is done with his work.' The nurse gave Pepper a reassuring smile and she and James headed off towards the waiting room.

They sat in silence for almost 2 hours.

'Do you want…um, coffee or anything?' Rhodey asked. Neither of them felt like drinking, but they needed something to keep themselves busy.

'Yes, coffee please. 4 sugars.' She never understood how Tony could drink anything with so much sugar in it, but she was hoping that maybe it would help her relax a bit? In the end Tony was always so cheerful…As soon as she thought about him, she started searching for a tissue in her bag.

###

Beep…. Beep…. Beep….. Tony's mind was racing. _What the hell? _Was the first thing that came to his mind. Then he remembered: the call from the embassy in Brasil, the quick flight there, a couple of punches thrown and then the flight back. And the weapon fired at him. And Pepper. _Oh no, I'm dead. Seriously? You can't be dead, you're Tony Stark! But this room is white. It looks like heaven. You are dead buddy. But then, if it's heaven why does everything hurt so bloody much? _Tony's debate with himself was interrupted by a feeling of sharp pain in his stomach. He tried to move but couldn't. He tried to scream, but his lips wouldn't move. He heard people talking.

'We can't decrease the dose of the anaesthetic! He's not gonna take that too well, you know?' the voice was filled with worry and sarcasm. _I agree, I don't fancy that. Shit, why does it have to hurt so much? Well, there seems to be a surgery going on, you fool. I don't care, I just don't want to feel anything._

'Well, the damn thing won't do him any good either. Look at that: blood pressure dropping already. For Chirsts' sake, his heart is going to stop!' Tony started to panic. He felt like he was back in Afghanistan, with Yinsen leaning over him with a scalpel. _God, please make it stop, I'll be good, I promise. Just make it stop. _For a moment he thought he was actually back in that hell-hole. Maybe he never got out, maybe he's not Iron Man, maybe…maybe Pepper is still just his PA, constantly angry with his irresponsible self? _No, it can't be. This feels a thousand times worse. Having a chunk of metal in your heart is nothing compared to your whole body burning on the inside, having hundreds of knives cutting into it ..._

'Damn you Bill, we don't have time for arguments. I'd rather have him battering PTSD than dying at my watch.' _Your watch. If I survive that, I'm gonna sew you, you idiot. _

'This is all just…hopeless. What chances of surviving that does he have anyway? Have you seen the state of his kidney and his ribs and that bloody lung?!' _Thanks for believing in me man. _

'Try telling that to . I'm sure he would be delighted. Don't talk, work.' The doctor apparently listened to his colleague. Tony heard a clatter of metal and propped himself for what was coming. _One, two thr…DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU. _Beep, beep, beep,beep. _Come on Tony, focus on something else. Science, you're good with science. Shit, that hurt you bastard. Ok, anesthesia awareness most likely. How often does it happen? 2 out of 1000 people. Why does it always have to be me?_ The weapon should have torn him and the suit to shreds right away, but he was still alive. _Well, I needed to see Pepper one last time, didn't I?_

Tony stopped thinking. He couldn't focus on anything else than the pain in his stomach. He thought it hurt back in Afghanistan. He was wrong. Never before had he known what pain meant. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to do something, say something, but he couldn't. He just wanted it to stop. He didn't care what would happen, whether he would die. He just wanted to stop feeling anything. He wanted to stop administering the voices and sounds that he knew would bring even more suffering than he was already in. He wanted to stop hearing the Electrocardiogram, that told him his heart went crazy every time the doctor put this stupid instrument into him. He wanted his heart to stop, he wanted to bleed to death, anything that would stop this torture would be good.

_Damn you Tony, die. Damn you Tony, die. Damn you Tony, die. Please Tony, just die. I'm begging you Pepper, just come here._

**That's it. I don't know…I hope I didn't mess up the medical stuff too badly. **

**I hope you liked. Please tell me what you think, whether you did or not. REVIEW please, they do motivate me and your feedback can help me with improving :D And thanks again for those of you who have done so already.**

**The next chapter is coming soon. I'm really looking forward to bringing it to you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm really glad that my work is appreciated, YOU GUYS ARE GREAT! Thank you for all the reviews. I hope you enjoy this one, I hope it isn't to cheesy. Just see for yourselves and tell me what you think ;)**

Rhodey shifted as he heard voices down the corridor. The first thing he looked at was the clock on the wall. 5.25 a.m. That meant that he and Pepper had slept for 4 hours and have been at the hospital for about eleven. Why haven't they heard any news yet? Pepper opened her eyes as James moved.

'Is it really that late? Have they…?' she asked, but Rhodey just shook his head. Seconds after that two men in white coats entered the waiting longue. Pepper felt every muscle in her body becoming tense and her heart racing as fast as one of Tony's sport cars. Both her and Rhodey sat up, staring at the two men.

'Get some rest Phil, I'll see you later.' The elder man said. Then he directed his attention at the two people sitting on the couch. 'I expect you want to find out about Mr. Stark's condition.' He sat down and took a deep breath. 'All that I can say is that we've done the best we can, but…'Pepper could swear that her mouth was wide open, as the tears started rolling down her cheeks. She heard it a dozen times in films and she knew that the 'but' could mean only one thing. Rhodey wrapped his arm around her neck.

'But that's not possible…' the man murmured under his breath. He thought back to the moment when Tony went missing in Afghanistan. Everyone believed him to be dead, everyone else had given up, but not him, not his best friend. And now there was nothing he could do, his hope wouldn't bring Tony back any more.

'Will you please let me finish?' the doctor sounded irritated. 'We've done our best, but my patient has been really severely injured. For now he has been placed in the ICU, but his condition is constantly life-threatening. Blood loss and broken ribs are the least of the problems seeing how many of the abdominal organs have been seriously damaged. The best we can do now is wait and see what happens.' The man sighed and put a reassuring hand on Pepper's arm, seeing her reaction to what he'd just said. 'I'm sorry about being so harsh, but I thought it'd be better if you knew. '

Pepper nodded in agreement. She didn't want to be lied to anymore. She remembered how horrible she felt when she discovered that Tony had been hiding the truth about the palladium in the arch reactor for so long. 'Thank you, doctor,' was all she managed to spit out.

'Well…I'll leave you to it then, for now. I'll be around if you want anything.' The man turned on his heel and started heading towards the door. He was about to cross the threshold, when Pepper found the courage to ask.

'Do you think we could see him now?' she tried as hard as she could to remain calm, but her voice was still shaky.

'Room 15. You've got two minutes.' Then the man was gone.

###

Pepper was staring at a big plate with '15' written on it, that was hanging on the door, leading to a room, that she feared so much to enter. Rhodey was pacing up and down the corridor, unsure of what to do with himself. He had seen many horrible things during his career as a soldier. But that was different. Tony was a friend.

'Rhodey, are you coming?' Pepper asked. She has come up with a strategy to fight her feelings towards Tony at the moment: she would think about all the times that he had been irresponsible, when he got drunk at every single one of his birthday parties, how he made her look like an idiot during the last one and how he had forgotten about her own birthday all those years in a row. It was actually working quite well when she put her hand on the handle and entered the room, staring at her shoes and making sure Rhodey was right behind her. But as soon as she raised her eyes to look at the bed, the wonderful strategy stopped being so wonderful.

Tony's lack of responsibility suddenly turned into simply being relaxed and the birthday parties actually looked funny. But what she saw made her cry again rather than laugh.

Pepper doubted whether she had ever seen anything so pitiful in her life. Tony was lying on the bed motionless with an evident grimace of pain on his face. There were countless monitors surrounding the bed and tubes attached to his body. From the time her elder brother was in a car crash, she remembered that the tube in his mouth was supposed to facilitate breathing. She took a few more steps and approached the bed. Tony was pale as a vampire and his hair was plastered to his forehead because of the sweat. His whole body from the waist up was covered in bandages with blood seeping through. Pepper turned around to look at Rhodey. He didn't look too sure of himself either. _Beep, beep, beep._ They just stood there for a moment in silence, thinking and listening to the sound the EKG machine made. Pepper couldn't believe that the broken figure in front of her was actually Tony. He was always so cheerful, so lively and he got in trouble so many times before. But he always managed to fight through it and be just fine in the end. _What if he isn't now? He must be? But Pep, just look at him…Pep, he's the only one calling you that. Is? Was?_

'Excuse me, I'm afraid you have to leave now.' The voice said from behind their backs. It belonged to the same nurse that they met when they first arrived at the hospital. 'I suggest you go home now. We'll inform you as soon as anything changes.' Without waiting for a reply, the woman shooed them out of the room.

As soon as the door closed, Pepper started looking for a chair nearby. She needed to sit down, she felt that unless she did, she would collapse as well.

'You crazy son of a bitch, what have you got yourself into?' the sentence escaped Rhodey's lips. He leaned against the wall and stared at Pepper. She stopped crying already. But she didn't know what to do with herself. She couldn't get the image out of her head. She thought back to waiting for Tony at home. It was only a couple of hours ago, but seemed like years. And breakfast they had together in the morning. She had been working all night, and found herself waking up to toasts with jam and chocolate spread and a glass of milk, all prepared by Tony.

Suddenly her phone rang. She looked at the screen of the device.

_**May 9th – meeting with Gary Jenson at 11 a.m.**_

She remembered: she was supposed to see the man and discuss the supply of firearms for training in the NATO base near Washington. Tony was really pumped up about it. He visited the facility in person and spoke to the young soldiers serving there, he spoke to them about peace, international cooperation. Those guys could make a change, Tony could make a change. And if supplying weapons, the thing he wanted to stop doing, could lead to it, so be it. He'd make sure himself they were used for good.

'Pepper,' Rhodey broke the silence. 'I think she was right. What's the point of sitting here and just…being worried.'

'I agree.' The man was surprised to hear such a reply. 'Tony would hate to see the work of his father ruined, because of that. He'd blame himself. So I'll take care of the company. Just keep me informed. And if something changes I might need a driver.'

'No problem. Let's go then, and I'll see you soon.'

###

Pepper had to try hard not to cry, as she was dropped off at Stark Industries. But she tried to hold her head high and focus on her work. But she couldn't help glancing at the screen of her mobile all the time.

_What would Tony do if he were you Pepper? He'd be by your side in the damn hospital! No, calm down. He would…turn up the music and do what he needed to do. Would he? Really? Ironman would certainly. So be an Iron woman for him Pep, he needs you. Don't let him down, not now._

**Another one finished. The next one is coming and I'll finally bring in some action and not just cheesy scenes like that.**

**Tell me what you think, because being a perfectionist, I feel like that's the worst one I've written so far All feedback will be appreciated. PLEASE REVIEW**

**I promise, the next one will be better.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Having messed up the last chapter so badly, I felt like I needed to update quickly to make up for that. There it is and please, tell me what you think ;)**

The black Rolls Royce pulled up outside the tall, glassed tower. Pepper took one last deep breath before exiting the vehicle and then pushed the door. The sun was already high up in the sky. She couldn't believe that all that happened recently, took place just a couple of hours ago. It seemed so surreal, yet she knew it was all happening.

She decided to climb up the stairs, rather than use the elevator. She didn't want to find herself locked in a little metal box, but also wanted to focus on something else than Tony, climbing up to the 7th floor should be absorbing enough.

When Pepper arrived at the meeting room, previously booked by her, Mr. Jenson had already made himself comfortable in a big leather chair at one end of the table. They shook hands and the woman joined him, having poured herself a cup of coffee.

'I'm really sorry Mr. Jenson, but I'll have to make it quick. We're…short of personnel at the moment and there is a lot of work to do. Anyway, I do hope that signing the deal is just a formality now.'

The man was quiet for a moment. He seemed to be buried deep down in his thoughts. Pepper didn't mind. She enjoyed the silence.

'Well, you see. There is a little issue, that I'd like to resolve, before I sign. I've looked through the design plans for the weapons, and one little detail is of interest to me. But I don't think you'll be able to help.'

'And why is that?' Pepper hated it when someone doubted her even before giving her a chance to prove herself.

'I assume you weren't the one designing the product. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was supposed to be Mr. Stark himself, taking care of the project.'

Something tightened around Pepper's throat at the mention of Tony. She need to give herself a couple of seconds to get herself together and reply.

'Yes, he was. But at the moment he is…um indisposed.' She spat out quickly. To her surprise, the other man laughed. What was so funny about this?

'Good old Stark and his parties…' the man murmured, still laughing. 'I've been to a couple and enjoyed them greatly. Well, so be it. I'll sign it.'

Pepper was about to open her mouth to say something. The man was being so disrespectful! If only he knew the truth…But could she really blame him? Everyone knew that Tony was no angel and liked his Scotch.

'That's great. Thank you Mr. Jenson. Doing business with you is a pleasure. We'll keep in touch.' The man signed multiple copies of the paper and left, without a word, still giggling.

Pepper sat down. _Well__done.__Pepper__ – __Ironman,__1-0!_ What now? That was the only thing scheduled for today, as far as Pepper was concerned. She did not want to go back to hospital, but neither did she want to go to the office and stare at the wall in front of her. Then her phone rang.

'Rhodey, what is...?' she started.

'I'm sorry, but I am not ...Rhodey. My name is Adam Wave. I'm calling on the behalf of ChemCorp. I've tried to reach Mr. Stark but he is not replying, so I was hoping you could help. It's about the Rio programme we've been working on, if you know what I mean.' Pepper had no idea what the man was talking about. ChemCorp? Rio programme? Did he go behind her back again and did something silly?

'I'm sorry Mr. Wave, but I am not sure what you are talking about. Not at all. Would you mind giving me a while? I'll see what I can do for you. Ok, great thank you.' The man hung up.

###

Having finished her lunch, Pepper sat down in front of the computer in her office. It was already 2p. she still hadn't heard from Rhodey or the hospital. She wasn't sure whether she should be worried or happy about that. But she needed to stick to the promise she had given herself. She would focus on work.

_Rio programme? What have you been up to Tony?_

She typed the name '_Rio_' into the company's search engine. Nothing came up. _Tony:__lies,__secrets,__please__not__again,__not__now._

The phone rang again, with the same number appearing on the screen. Pepper put the device inside the drawer of her desk and leaned back in her chair.

###

_**Ten days later**_

As soon as the news that Tony Stark was involved in an accident reached the public, Adam Wave stopped calling. Pepper carried on writing reports, following the stocks and giving fake smiles to everyone around. She needed to prove that Tony's decision to make her CEO was right, that the sudden change of roles wasn't just Tony's crazy fantasy. And someone needed to make sure that his company doesn't fall to pieces. She spent the evenings sitting next to Tony's bed. Rhodey came as well at first, but then he was sent abroad for a couple of days and as always, the orders he got showed up to be superior to everything else.

Pepper tried to tell herself that it would be all right. It always was in the end. But every night when she went to sleep she was more tired than the night before and it was getting more and more difficult to pretend in front of everyone that she didn't care. The smiles finally disappeared, the handshakes were less firm and the investors less confident as well. Without Tony there would be no inventions, without the new inventions, there would be no returns, no profits. And without profits Stark Industries wouldn't stay in the market for too long.

Her friends from college called earlier that day and asked whether she wanted to go out. Of course she wanted to, but she felt that she couldn't leave Tony. She was hoping that maybe he would finally wake up. And if..._when_ he did, she needed to be there. Still, the prospect of spending another Friday evening on a chair in the hospital didn't seem very inviting.

That night Pepper took her laptop with her. On Tuesday she would have to face the board of directors and they would decide what to do about the current situation. She thought she might come up with something clever to say, so something to type it out on would be useful to have.

Pepper sat next to a little table in the white room. She divided her time, between Googleing and staring at Tony's motionless body. When she opened her inbox, she saw a message from Rhodey.

_Pepper,_

_I've been trying to reach you on the phone but you wouldn't answer. Someone had broken into our compound in Georgia and materials needed to build that rocket Tony's been working on have been stolen. By the way, we got a call from Adam Wave from ChemCorp. He said they've also had a break in and research on a new poisonous solution stolen. The investors are dropping out one after the other, stock are plummeting, people might be in danger and CIA will probably come knocking down your door in a sec. Just call me back, stop being worried about Tony and let's do something about it, please._

_J.R._

Pepper searched her bag for her mobile. The battery was dead. This had never happened before. Why did it have to be now, at such an important moment?

###

'Tony! Yes, you Tony, I'm talking to you!' the elder man yelled. 'What do you think you're doing?'

'D-dad? No offence, but aren't you supposed to be...you know, dead?' Tony thought for a moment. 'That must mean only one thing...I'm dead as well...Shame...'

'No you're not you silly boy. But you need to get yourself together. Look at yourself!'

Tony looked around. He was lying in his broken Ironman suit on the floor of his workshop. He looked at the clock and had a déjà vu. Pepper would come down in a second, hug him and then...and then what? He couldn't remember.

'But Dad...'The man was standing over him, with that usual expression of disapproval on his face. Tony tried to get up, to prove to the man that he could do it, but his body wouldn't listen. He just groaned through his clenched teeth. 'I can't.'

'You never could do anything for me, could you? I can't, I won't...' every single word coming from his father's mouth hurt Tony more that his wounds. But suddenly, the man knelt next to Tony and ran a hand through his ruffled hair. 'But it was me who messed up. You don't want to get up for your old man, fine. But if you won't do it for me, at least do it for that girlfriend of yours. Virginia, isn't it?

'Pepper dad, just Pepper. Dad, wait...where are you going...?' the elder man started walking away from him. Suddenly everything started spinning. Tony was falling, falling, falling, anticipating the hard impact. But he hit something soft.

He moved his right hand and found that it was touching cotton-like fabric. He started registering various sounds. A beeping of some machine, a sound of typing and two men talking. _Damn__it,__not__those__two__sadists__again.__Come__on__Tony,__sleep.__They__aren__'__t__gonna__get__you__this__time._Having heard the two mean talking he lost all the willingness to open his eyes. He didn't want to suffer anymore. But everything hurt anyway. _Tony,__you__can__'__t__even__die__properly.__No__wonder__dad__was__so__disappointed__with__you__all__the__time._But then he heard a third voice, a woman's voice. A voice he knew so well, a voice he trusted, he loved. Having Howard's words in mind, he opened his eyes with great effort. The light was blinding, the sounds deafening. He tried to move his hand, reach out towards the voice, but something held it in place. He tried to call out to her, but something in his mouth wouldn't let him either. _What__the__hell?__Damn__you,__all._But he must have succeeded in making some sort of a sound, as suddenly the three people turned around and were right next to him, staring. _Guys,__I__know__I__'__m__awesome,__but__give__me__a__little__space.__And__loads__of__painkillers._

He felt someone touching his hand. The touch was delicate , loving.

'Tony, you there? Can you hear me?' He tried to reply but nearly choked because of the damn tube in his throat. He just squeezed her hand as tightly as he could and listened to her relieved laugh.

**For those of you who have read the previous version of the chapter: Having heard my friend's opinion on that I decided to change it. The story was supposed to focus on Pepper/Tony relationship and not weird conspiracies :P So I'm focusing back on my main point, but I also think the story needed a little spin. Tell me whether you agree, and what you'd like to see more of. Every writer's dream is to entertain their audience!**

**I think I'm not going to make the story too long. There are definitely a few more chapters coming, but you know what happens, when TV show is on for too long :P We all get tired of it, and I certainly don't want my beloved readers getting tired of me! 3**

**REVIEWS = MOTIVATION, so please, do leave a comment ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, I know that I haven't updated in ages, but I've been away on holiday for a week and as much as I wanted to write, I had no time to whatsoever. Thank you for all the reviews, I really feel motivated when my work is commented on. Anyway, the next chapter is here. I hope you like it!**

There were so many things Pepper wanted to say, but she knew no words could express how relieved she felt at the moment. She had come up with the horrible scenarios of what life would like if Tony hadn't made it. But now he was there with her and she wouldn't let him slip away ever again.

The two doctors seemed to be surprised at Tony's sudden awakening. Pepper knew they had given up hope and she was probably the only one still believing in him.

Tony had never been so disorientated in his life. He could focus only on Pepper and the throbbing pain in his stomach. _What__'__s__going__on?__Probably__something__horrible__again.__But__at__least__Pep__is__here.__Whatever__is__to__come,__it__'__ll__be__better__with__her.__It__always__is._

'Keep an eye on him, I'll be right back.' It was one of the doctors who spoke. Tony's heart started beating faster at the recollection of what happened the last time he heard the man. Pepper ran her hand through his messy hair to calm him down. 'Miss Potts, do you mind waiting outside for a moment.' The man spoke again. _Please__Pep,__stay.__Don__'__t__leave__me__with__him__again._

'Of course, I'll go and get myself a coffee, doctor.' She didn't feel like leaving, worried that Tony could slip away from her again, but believed that the best she could do to help him was just trust the physician.

The doctor took a chair and sat next to Tony's bed. Tony tried to yell at the man, tell him he was an idiot, that he would get sewed, lose his job. But his attempt to open his mouth ended with a fit of coughing.

'Mr. Stark, I really need to ask you not to try to talk. Now, I need to tell you a couple of things.' Tony gave up. As soon as he stopped choking he felt as if his chest was about to explode, and he wouldn't risk that. 'You have been out for 10 days . Nod if you remember how you got here.' Tony moved his head slightly. 'I'm sorry about what happened during the surgery. But if there was an alternative we would have used it, I can assure you. Now, you got yourself injured really seriously. We've managed to stitch you up for now, but there is still a lot to be done. You'll need to spend the next couple of weeks here, recovering, but we'll do our best to make you as comfortable as possible.' The voice seemed distant, Tony's eyelids seemed extremely heavy. He wanted to stay awake, to talk to Pepper again, just to see her, but his body had a different opinion on that matter. 'That's what I was talking about Mr. Stark, just rest for now.'

_###_

Pepper knew she needed to go back to the company and try to fix this mess. Everyone would be furious with her and Tony. She knew that the break-in wasn't her fault, but she couldn't help blaming herself. It happened on her watch and now it was her responsibility to handle that.

But at the same time, she also believed that looking after Tony was her responsibility. She'd always been there for him and as he himself said, she was all he had. On her way back to room 15, she still had doubts about what to do, but as soon as she saw two doctors and a nurse busying around him she made up her mind. He'd be fine.

###

Everyone in the office was running around chaotically, no one was sure what was actually happening. The place was crowded with police officers, CIA and SHIELD agents. The screens running along the corridor on the top floor, showing news from all over the world, pictured the same thing: a ruined SI building in Georgia, surrounded by police vehicles and firefighters. The people who had broken in, didn't try hard to avoid being noticed. They used explosives to gain access to the building and dispose of the numerous guards. Pepper knew she would have to take care of arranging memorials for the people who died in the explosion during work and make sure their families were all right.

Pepper was disorientated. She had already been questioned by a couple of police officers, looked through countless security reports. All she could do now was wait. And over the last few days she had grown to hate waiting. Waiting for Tony and now waiting for what is to happen. Then a ray of hope appeared, as she saw Coulson walking down the corridor towards her.

'Oh Phil, I'm so glad to see you. Have you found anything yet?' Her voice was filled with worry.

'Not yet. We're analysing CCTV footage and searching for witnesses, but it's difficult to say when we'll get something concrete. Whether we will get anything concrete at all. And, um...how's Tony doing?' the man hesitated to ask, knowing that talking about it wasn't easy for Pepper. He didn't want to put even more strain on her.

'Well, he's alive. That's very...positive.' she replied, not wanting to push the conversation in that direction. 'Is there anything else I can do now? You know that this waiting is horrible, not knowing what's actually going on.'

'Not really. Just carry on doing business the usual way. Try to calm the shareholders down and I suggest you get some rest. We'll call you as soon as we discover who's behind this.'

The man hurriedly walked away, leaving Pepper on her own.

###

'Look, I seriously don't know why you're making such a big fuss about it! It was just a stupid party and I'm allowed to...' the boy didn't get to finish the sentence.

'As long as you live under my roof you are not allowed to skip school and wander around with those...people. You've got responsibilities. First things should come first.' The man's voice was solid and firm. Even though he was passionately involved in the argument he was having with his son, he was perfectly focused on the road ahead of him.

'You know what? Why don't I just stop 'living under your roof'? We'd both have a problem out of our heads. And school is boring, I don't need to go to school. And the people there? They're older than me and they are still so backwards with everything! I'm 17 for Christ's sake and I know all that stuff they teach us anyway.' The boy couldn't help yelling. A couple of minutes back his parents were showing him off to other guests at that stupid ball, telling everyone how proud they were and now his father was reprimanding him about an outing with his friends earlier that day. Tony had already got used to the prohibition of doing anything else than working, coming from his father. But he always hoped that his mother would be more understanding. Sometimes she would allow Tony to skip school, just because she knew that he could use the time more productively on his own. Now, she was just sitting silently next to her husband and pretending not to hear the conversation.

'You still need to get your diploma to run the company one day. And imagine how the reputation of the Stark name would get ruined if it leaked into the press again? I've already had enough trouble because of you.'

'Yeah, I bet you had trouble when I got admitted to MIT at the age of 14. I'm sure you had trouble when I came top of the class every year in a row. I bet you had trouble when...' Tony didn't get to finish the sentence. Something hit the left side of the Mercedes with enormous force. The car spun around a couple of times and the boy felt sick. He thought his seat belt would cut him in half. Glass was all over him and when he looked down he realized that his shirt was now blood-stained. The machine hit the ground one last time with a loud thud. All the noises were unexpectedly gone, all that remained was silence. Tony gave himself a couple of seconds to calm down and think. Somehow he knew what had happened, he knew his parents were dead. He knew that they were dead because of a drunk driver. And he knew the last thing he did together was his family was have an argument. The boy didn't even try to stop the tears flowing. He just let it all out, crying like a baby. Then the sound of the sirens came. He could hear someone yelling his name and suddenly the sound of the sirens got quieter and turned into fast beeping. The hard surface of the concrete road turned into soft pillows, but Tony felt as if the damn seat belt was still there.

'Tony! Tony!' Some just wouldn't stop calling him for some reason. What was so important that it couldn't wait? _Just shut up, just leave me alone. Damn it, my family is dead. _Someone gave him a slap on his right cheek. _Well, maybe dad isn't dead at all. Who else would have done that?_ 'Tony, please, just wake up. It's all right.' _Is it? I'm not feeling that great._ ' !'

_Oh, all right, all right. I'll sew you all later._ Tony lifted his eyelids. He failed to suppress a moan, as someone wrapped their arms around his neck and pulled him close.

'Tony, it's fine, it was just a dream. It's all right.' Tony thought for a moment. He knew the voice, he trusted the voice. Who did it belong to?

'Pep?' His tensed muscles relaxed a bit. 'A dream?' He realized he could speak again. That was progress. But the horrible feeling in his stomach was still there.

'Yeah. Do you want to talk?' Pepper asked reassuringly, though she was sure she knew the answer.

'No.' He believed dreams were not worth thinking, let alone talking about. There were more important things. Such as why the hell could he not move his left arm? 'Can you do something for me?' his voice was still hoarse after he hadn't used it for days. Tony was extremely tired, but when he realized something was seriously wrong, adrenaline apparently kicked in.

'Always. But, are you sure you're all right? You know I'll always be here.'

'No. I don't think I'm all right. That's why I need you to hit me Pep.' The expression on her face hardened. Pepper felt really worried now. Tony being sick was one thing, but him turning crazy was another story. 'Just do it. It's not such a big deal, is it?'

Not wanting to start an argument, she punched his arm as delicately as she could.

'Damn it.'

'You see, I told you it wasn't a good idea. I'm so sorry, I didn't want to hurt you.' Pepper started panicking. Why did she even listen to Tony? He always had those bad ideas of his.

'You didn't. I didn't feel a thing. And that's what I am bloody worried about.'

**There you go Kitman1125 , poor Tony – I completely forgot about that, thanks for the reminder. I feel sorry for Tony, but then...I just got my exam results and needed to take it out on someone, but I like my friends too much to hurt them, so he'll have to deal with it. Not that I don't like Tony, he's a nice guy ;)**

**I hope you liked it, the next chapter is under way. **

**Please REVIEW, all feedback is masively appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

**There you go lovely readers! I hope you enjoy the next chapter and thank you for the reviews. Just to remind you, this is the first angsty thingy that I'm writing, so do forgive me if it's horrible and just tell me to shut up :P**

Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless. That was the only word coming to Pepper's mind at the moment. When Tony finally seemed to be getting better, everything had to turn against him and the last time she spoke to Coulson on the phone, the only answers she got was to wait. Having not slept properly in two days she was tired. Rhodey had just flown in from Brasil and promised her he'd stay up with Tony, while she would be resting, but she refused. She'd never seen Tony in such a bad state. Regardless of the fact that his injuries were serious, his usual positive self has turned into a grumpy and depressed pessimist. He managed to stay awake for half an hour, so that he could get his blood tested again and speak to the doctor. But he kept swearing and from the tone of his voice Pepper could say that he was not only exhausted and angry, but scared as well. All the attempts to get him to talk with her failed, he completely ignored the presence of Rhodey in the room.

'Do you think they can fix it?' Pepper asked Rhodey.

'Honestly? They don't even know what it is. They're not just going to fix it, are they? What about the break-in? Any news?' Rhodey was a soldier, but a soldier isn't a machine. He still had feelings, but someone needed to keep cool about the situation. He decided to take the responsibility for being the tough one.

'Rhodey! How can you…? ' she thought for a moment. Now that all was making sense, things had to go wrong again. 'Nothing for sure. They will start questioning people, but they're not likely to find anything out.'

'You know that I'll do all I can to help out. I can get you more people on the site and get some people from the special forces down there. And we need to secure all the other potential targets. Did the CIA make contact already, cause…'

Pepper wouldn't listen to any of that bureaucratic bullshit anymore. Failing to restrain herself any longer, she gave Rhodey a punch on his right arm.

'Pepper, what the hell was that for?'

'Your best friend is…And you're just acting so…so casual…'She sat down on the couch next to the wall. Only now, she felt how tired she actually was. Everything kept happening so quickly that she didn't even have enough time to think about it all. Rhodey was next to her immediately, rubbing her back with his hand.

'I'm sorry. I just thought you'd want to keep the company running and all that…' the man whispered. Pepper couldn't recognize herself for a moment. She was always the responsible one. The one who could forget all else and focus on work. Even when Tony went missing in Afghanistan, Stane made sure that she had her hands full and she wouldn't let her standards slip. And she had a promise to herself, hadn't she?

'No Jim. I should be saying sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'll go and…'she felt ashamed of herself. She knew what the right thing to do was, but for once in her life, she felt like breaking the rules and doing the thing that was completely wrong, out of order. She stood up and started heading towards the exit. She would come back to the company, she would do whatever she was asked do to, even if it meant sitting in her office and waiting. She used to blame Tony for being irresponsible when he was CEO, now she was acting in exactly the same way. She could be called many things, but she certainly didn't want 'a hypocrite' to be one of them.

'Pepper, don't be ridiculous. Come back here.'

'Rhodey, there are things that need to be done, looked after. I need to be down there in case something changes or…'

'No,' he interrupted her. 'You need to be here. That's why I'm offering help. Not because I don't care about Tony. And you damn well know it.' She nodded as a response.

'But what good will it do anyway? Me sitting here won't change anything.'

'And do you really believe that you sitting in your office will change the situation? The poor secretary will just have to prepare more coffee and sandwiches. And as a matter of fact, you sitting here might just be useful.'

Still blaming herself, Pepper came back to the couch. She would stay. She had her laptop, her mobile phone – God bless technology! They could call her up if she was needed.

'Speaking of being useful. Do we _actually _know what happened…you know, in Brasil?'

'Not at all. Tony kicked ass and moments after that he's halfway in his grave. I guess we'll have to ask him. But not now. Not now…' Without any further delays Rhodey left. Pepper was on her own again, unsure of what to do, unsure of what would happen.

###

'Sir, your heart rate is dropping. I suggest you call in at the closest hospital and…'

'Just shut up JARVIS and speed the suit up. I'm going home.'

'But sir, I really insist that you…'

'JARVIS, if I want your opinion I'll give it to you. It's just a couple of streets away. Don't argue, just do what I tell you.' The AI gave up. Tony knew that he should go to the hospital. He was putting his life on the line again, and why? Because in case he didn't make it anyway, he wanted to see Pep. He wanted to hear her say that she loved him, he wanted to hold her in her arms and as arrogant as he could get, he didn't want to seem weak to her. The great Ironman doesn't do hospitals, he can deal with everything on his own. But can he this time? Everything hurt, his vision was blurred and he felt nauseous and sleepy. He just wanted to close his eyes and never open them again. He did. His limbs felt heavy and then…

'Sir! Careful!' BANG! Tony was nearly asleep, when he hit something really hard. He could feel some pieces of his armour falling off. He was anticipating another impact, but nothing happened. The only problem was that everything around was black. Why? Maybe the lights just went out. Wait, what if…he opened his eyes. _Not this damn shithole again. I want to be home. Fuck, fuck, fuuuuuuuuuck… _He looked around, to find Pepper sleeping in the chair next to his bed. _How beautiful can a woman get? But she shouldn't be wasting her time here._

'Pep,' Tony tried to speak, but all he managed was a quiet, pitiful whisper. 'Pep.' This time he managed to speak out louder. The figure next to him shifted.

'Hi.' Tony could easily tell how exhausted she had to be. The bags under her eyes, the sleepiness in her voice told him all he needed to know. He wanted to say something meaningful, but he couldn't. Not because every single word was an effort, but because he had no idea what to say. Hardly ever he was short of words, and especially now he should have something to say, but he could not force himself to speak. Should he apologise? Should he complain? Thank her for being there? Tell her to leave? _No that's not gonna work. I don't want her to leave._

'Do you need anything?' she finally broke the silence. Concern was painted all over her face. It was heart-breaking for Tony to know that her worries were caused by him. For once in his life, someone made him feel genuinely sorry and guilty.

'No.' He stared at the wall ahead of him. _Is that what the rest of my life is gonna look like? Great. _

'Do you want the doctor to come?' This time he decided to not even bother with replying. Tony just shook his head, not taking his eyes of the wall.

'There was a break-in, you know. At the company. Rhosey is fixing it, so…you shouldn't worry. And I can be here with you…and…just tell me if there's anything you want.' Pepper had never felt so uncomfortable in her life. She wasn't sure whether Tony was too weak to speak or whether he was angry with her or maybe himself?

'Go home.' Spitting out those two words hurt. Physically and metaphorically. He wanted her to get rest, he wanted her to stop worrying, as he knew she was. And he felt horrible knowing that she was looking at him, when he was in such a woeful state.

'Why?' What the hell was Tony up to? 'Are you angry?' All she got in reply was just a shake of his head. 'Then why Tony? Don't you want anyone to keep you company?'

'You…' he was getting tired. The anesthetic in his veins, the anger, the stress, the pain, all made his eyelids seem heavy. 'You…de-deserve better.' Tony didn't want her to go. She was the only person, who gave waking up again a purpose, the only person who could make him focus on something else, than the mess under the bandages. But he was holding her back all those years. Instead of running a company she had put so much into, she was sleeping in a plastic chair , nannying a grown man.

'Don't be silly. I want to be here. And you have no idea how happy I am to finally hear you speak.' She gave Tony a reassuring smile. Pepper wanted to show him that her willingness to sacrafise her time was sincere, that someone actually cared about him getting better and that what happened wasn't the end of the world. He would get back on his feet eventually, wouldn't he? 'Are you feeling any better?'

'No.' He wasn't sure what was worse. Still being able to feel his wounds caused by the weapon fired at him, or not being able to feel his left arm and leg at all. All his life, he could have all he wanted. If he didn't like a teacher at school, he would just move to a different college. If his car broke down, he didn't have to bother fixing it, he would just get a new one. And if a journalist annoyed him, he could make sure that they would not find a job ever again, and his privacy wouldn't be disturbed. Now, he could not do a thing as simple as pouring himself something to drink.

'Water…please,' he managed to mumble. He felt as if he had just eaten a mouthful of sand and all moisture had been sucked out of his mouth. 'Please', he was surprised that he actually used the word. He hardly ever bothered to, because even if he did behave in an inappropriate way, people would just let it be. But in case of Pepper it wasn't politeness that motivated him. It was respect, it was love.

'I'll get the doctor, okay? I'm not sure whether you can just,… you know.', Pepper hoped he would understand and left the room without another word. Seconds later she was back with a tall dark-haired man in a white coat.

'I'm glad to see you awake Mr. Stark. Sorry, but the best we can do now is ice cubes and, well…' the man was scared as hell to finish the sentence, having heard about his patient's personality, not mentioning the fact that the man had to be in a bad mood after what happened. '…well, baby food.' _Baby food? Cool, a Happy Meal will do. A cheesburger and nuggets, right? That's what you mean, isn't it? _Tony knew that the man didn't, but as always he tried to keep his spirits up. If he had enough strength he would argue with the doctor, but he knew he would just look like an idiot if he tried to yell at him now. And even though Pepper was used to seeing him drunk and not being able to speak, let alone stand on his own, he wouldn't humiliate himself in front of her again.

'So, fancy something to eat, ?' the other man asked cheerfully, very happy seeing no outbursts of anger.

'No.' Maybe Tony couldn't argue, but he still would not give in to anyone's suggestions.

'I really recommend you, that you do. I'll call for a nurse and…'

'No. I'm not eating anything until I can feed myself with my own hands here.'

Pepper was even more worried now. She knew Tony was always stubborn, but if he carried on like that, he would only make things worse. Maybe he would listen to her?

'Tony, you need to eat something. Come on!' She was terrified, as she saw the expression on his face harden even more. It hurt her to see him like this, knowing that there is nothing she can do to help, except just be there next to him.

'Him, out. Pep, stay.' The doctor and Pepper exchanged glances. She tried to show him, that she really appreciated his work, but that Tony was just Tony, and no accidents would change that. The doctor left, shaking his head. Pepper sighed and sat next to Tony on the bed. As soon as she did, Tony tried to shift and sit up. His attempt ended with a loud groan, accompanied by him nearly falling of the bed.

'Tony! Are you out of your mind?'

'No, thank God at least my head still feels normal. Can you…give me a hand here?' He hated asking for help. His whole life he was on his own, without any real friends or family and had learnt to deal with problems on his own. Even though he's known Pepper for years, he was still uncomfortable whenever he had to ask for a favour.

Being very careful not to hurt Tony, Pepper helped him sit up and prop up against the pillows. He winced a couple of times in the process but didn't say a word.

'Thanks.'

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Pepper didn't like silence. At least not when Tony was around. He would never shut up; whether he had something important to say, or whether he just felt like rambling on and making her smile, he always tried to make a conversation. But not now. Pepper wasn't sure whether that was because he didn't feel strong enough to, or because he just didn't want to talk.

'What if they don't fix it? Any of it. What fucked up sort of a life is it gonna be, huh? Watching telly, eating chocolate and listening to music? What about the company, what about Ironman?' It had taken Tony so much time to be able to put himself together and say it out loud. All these questions had been building up in his head, but he never had to courage to ask out loud so far. Courage and physical strength. He knew the answer, but he was hoping to hear something more positive from Pepper.

'They will fix it Tony.' She sat next to him again and put her arm around his neck. She had probably already stopped believing it herself, but seeming optimistic looked like the only way to get Tony back on his feet.

'You know they won't, don't you? I've heard them talking when you weren't here you know. And they said it's hopeless, they don't even know what it is that caused all this shit!'

'Tony, it will be all right.' She tried to sound positive, but taking account what he just said she wasn't so sure about the outcome anymore.

'STOP saying it will. You know, back there in Afghanistan, I thought I'd never see you all again. But then I met this guy, Yinsen. He was a scientist as well and we…we worked together on building the suit, that eventually got me out of that hell hole…' Tony had never told anyone what really happened when he was captured. But he wanted Pepper to know. Lying in the hospital bed and thinking about Aghanistan again reminded him how short life was. So he decided he wouldn't wait any longer and just tell her what bothered him. 'We were held captive, but those terrorist idiots didn't even know what we were actually building. We had the freedom to build whatever we wanted to build. And I knew that everyone was probably running around looking for me. But I _could _do something. I was miles away from home, away from all the high-tech tools and engineers and I did have the power to take care of the situation.' He needed a pause. He'd never thought speaking could require so much effort. He felt as if he'd ran a marathon and his lungs felt as if they were on fire.

'Are you ok?' Pepper asked, concerned at the sudden break.

'Just listen.' Tony took another deep breath and prepared himself to speak again. 'And now I'm here in America, with you right next to me, and Rhodey hanging around and the best scientists in the world and all I can do is just lie down and hope that when I wake up you'll still be here and that the next dose of the anesthetic is finally going to work and that those idiots will _actually _do something to make it better. And it scares the shit out of me Pep.' He lied back down. The medications he'd been given must have stopped working, cause his stomach was giving him a hard time again. Trying hard not to think about the pain, Tony managed to gather all the remaining strength he had in himself and pull Pepper close to himself with his right hand. She just let him hold her and didn't even dare touch him, worried that she might cause even more damage. They were just sitting there for a couple of minutes when Pepper realized that the sleeve of her sweatshirt was dump. She looked at Tony and saw tears of frustration in his eyes. He was amazed himself. The last time he cried was almost 20 years ago, sitting in the living room with a policeman who carried the burden of telling the teenage billionaire that his parents had been killed in a car crash.

'Hey, Tony,' Pepper suddenly forgot all else, and ignoring his moan cuddled him close to herself. 'I can't believe that a genius can really be that silly. _They_ might not be able to think of anything, but you're not just a guy in a white coat who finished med school. _You _are Tony Stark and when you got hit on the head you might have forgotten, but _you _ are a genius. And quite a smart one.'

**I hope you liked it. Please, tell me what you think. REVIEWS are massively appreciated. Repeating what I've already said, this is the first fic of this kind that I'm writing, so all advice and feedback will be very useful to me!**

**The next chapter should be coming soon ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A big thank you for all those who have commented and read the story. This feedback is really appreciated and I hope it will show in my writing. I hope you enjoy this one.**

Pepper walked into the room to find Tony sitting up in the bed, surrounded by a bunch of papers , with a computer on his lap and a huge book, lying open on the bedside table. Tony had asked her to leave a couple of hours ago. He said he wanted to sleep and she should use this time to get some rest as well. Apparently, he didn't. He was clumsily holding a pen in his right hand, adding notes to one of the sheets next to him. It was filled with structural models of various substances, and now Tony seemed to be adding some more calculations.

'Hi. Are you feeling any better?'

'Nope.' He replied dispassionately. 'Actually…since you're here, I'm actually tempted to say _yes_.'

'You should get some rest, you know.'

'No. You said it yourself, remember? Get yourself together and work on that, right?' He forced himself to smile at her. She approached and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. Tony was starting to get annoyed by the fact that because of how worried she was she hardly ever got close to him, he missed the feeling of her lips against his and her delicate hands on his waist.

'Yes. But I didn't say 'work yourself senseless and knock yourself out eventually'. She reprimanded him.

'Don't worry. I might stop now as well. This is all pointless. The numbers just don't hold together and if I can't do this, no one else can!' he threw all the papers off the bed with frustration. 'Hospitals make me depressed. I want to be home. I could buy this place you know, and get all those people to work for me in Malibu…That's not such a bad idea, actually…'

Pepper knelt on the floor and started picking up the papers. She knew what would happen if Tony got into one of his crazy tantrums and she would do all she could to prevent it. She got the papers back in order and looked at the first page. She was never big on chemistry but one thing attracted her attention.

'Tony…I think as soon as you get better we need to sue the maths professor at MIT.' Pepper said, still scanning the documents with her eyes.

'What? Pep, I'm in the biggest limbo in my whole damn life, and you're talking about maths?' She sat next to him and held his right hand tightly in hers, as she put the papers on his lap.

'You are the genius boy here, but…as far as I'm concerned the square root of 64 is 8 rather than 6. Look, here,' she pointed at the fourth line of Tony's calculations. Tony's face suddenly lit up. Everything hurt, he felt horrible and desperately needed a drink. He wasn't even sure whether his idea would work, but he reminded himself of a Thursday morning, when one red-haired accountant walked into his office to point out a mistake in calculations that he himself had made. Since that day he couldn't stop thinking about her, wanting to be with her. And if it hadn't been for that mistake, he definitely wouldn't have such an amazing girlfriend now.

'Virginia Pepper Potts. CEO of Stark Industries, the brightest and most beautiful women I've ever met,' Tony started speaking slowly, weighing carefully every word. He looked Pepper in the eyes and saw her blushing. He loved it when she did that. They had known each other for years, grown to understand and care for each other, and still she blushed when he was around. 'You know I can be selfish sometimes and I know I don't say it enough, but…Pepper Potts, _you complete me_.'

###

'Mr. Stark, you do realize that if it doesn't work, you're risking…'

'I know my science right. Just get on with it.' The doctor sighed at the stubbornness of his patient. would fire him, if the guy died. Tony winced as the needle pierced his skin. His heart rate quickened, and he shut his eyes tightly. It burnt as hell, but his confidence wouldn't allow him to admit that he had just signed his death warrant. Then everything stopped.

'Mr. Stark? Can you hear me?' Tony could, but his eyelids felt too heavy to open. His body wouldn't listen to the commands coming from his brain and he fell asleep again.

Hours later Tony finally opened his eyes. He didn't want to move. He didn't want to know whether his remedy worked, scared of what would happen if it didn't. But then…

'Tony? Are you awake?' _How the hell did she know?_

'Yep. Pep, can you come here? Sit next to me, come on.' He pleaded with her.

'I couldn't wait for you to wake up. There's so much I need to tell you. But…This thing you made, is it…?' she sat next to Tony on the bed, impatiently awaiting a reply. He didn't seem to be keen on opening his mouth. Instead he just threw his arms around her waist, pulled her close and she responded in the same way. They just sat there, holding themselves in each other arms, not wanting to let go. Pepper could feel his breath on her neck and the warmth coming from the arc reactor kept assuring her, that this wasn't all just a dream.

'Yeah, I think it is.' He sealed his statement with a passionate kiss. It had been nearly three weeks since the last time he got so close to her, since he could feel her soft lips against his. The small of her perfume reminded him of that first moment they shared together on the rooftop. The thought saddened him a bit, seeing that he had put her through hell again. Seeing that being close to him, was always dangerous for her. Still, he couldn't help but grin, as the dull, throbbing pain in his stomach was replaced by the feeling of butterflies, as he felt her delicate hand on the back of his neck. She leaned her forehead against his and smiled back. He looked into her ocean-blue eyes, and couldn't help noticing how tired and worn down they were.

'Pep, I want to go home.' He repeated his request. 'This place gives me creeps.'

'Tony, I don't think the doctors will…'

'Don't think. Not the right time for that.' She didn't get a chance to reply, as Tony landed another passionate kiss on her lips. Not that she had anything against it, quite the opposite.

###

'Thank you so much. This is really appreciated. So, we'll see you on Wednesday, ok?'

'Indeed Miss Potts. Just please, make sure he stays in bed, takes his medications and doesn't do alcohol. Oh, and the bandages need to be changed every day. Now, I think that's all.' Pepper and the doc exchanged pleasantries one last time and then she was free to run up to Tony's bedroom.

'Happy now?' she asked, still amazed at his negotiating skills. It took Tony nearly an hour to convince the doctor that he could recover perfectly well at home and in the process he got so excited that he nearly fell off the bed, while attempting to stand up.

'As long as you're here, very happy. Just give me some Advil.'

'Tony, no. I think you're getting addicted to this thing.' Pepper couldn't believe that anyone could consume pills in such quantities and still not overdose.

'So? It hurts.' He gave her his hurt-puppy look, but she remained firm in her decision.

'You were allowed to come back here under a couple of conditions remember? But…I can give you chocolate milk and toasts.'

Tony was happy to have Pepper around, but at the same time she knew him too well, and was an expert in making him obey.

'How about a little smooch? I'm sure it would make all the bad stuff go away.'

'Well…'she teased him. 'I'm not sure. And anyway, Tony, I don't think your behavior so far made you deserve it.' The expression on Tony's face was priceless. He looked like a kid, whose lollipop had just been stolen. And Pepper though little kids were cute.

'I am sorry Miss Potts. I nearly died, in the process of saving the world AGAIN. Now, I don't know what else you want me to do.' He decided to play the game and smiled at her, using what little remained of the strength he had.

'That's what I mean Tony. You nearly died. AGAIN!' Just thinking about it, made her want to cry. If he carried on like that, once the _again_ would turn into _finally, _and she didn't want to see that.

'Pep, I…You know I had to…' he mumbled. 'I…I…' Ok, he had to admit it, he wasn't an expert in apologizing, but he wanted to tell her badly how sorry he was.

'YOU, Tony need to stop talking, lie down and rest. I'll get you that milk.' Disappointed at the outcome of the conversation, Tony gave in. He was about to close his eyes, when a wave of pain shot through his body. _God damn it, side effects. _But then he felt the pillows around being shifted, and Pepper's hand brushed his cheek. _Oh no, I must be dead, seeing that there is a red-haired angel right next to me._ That thought calmed him down and he fell asleep, listening to the sounds of the ocean outside.

**I'm sorry it's so short, but I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless. I'm sort of moving next week, so I'm very busy, but I'd rather update shorter but more often that the other way round.**

**Please REVIEEEEEEEW! ;) Your advice is REALLY appreciated, and even crap writers, such as me :P, can get better eventually :DDD I promise!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, the next one is here, hopefully a bit better this time ;) Tell me what you think and review. I need motivation, seeing that schools is dragging my spirits doooooown :P**

BOOM! The missile hit the glassed building with enormous force. Windows were shattered, walls crumbling and smoke started rising up from the building. If one focused, they would be able to hear the cries of the terrified people in the background.

'…it isn't yet known who is behind the attack, however the government is mobilizing all forces available to find out immediately and prevent any future threats to the country's security. The site is being secured, while…'

'Mute,' Tony said and the room immediately turned quiet. He started thinking about where the world was going. Terrorists, bombs and death. Oh, well…a year ago he was still making his living from that. He looked around the room, having woken up just a couple of seconds before. His eyes stopped at the sofa in the corner of the room, and to be more precise on its occupant. Tony still couldn't comprehend why Pepper would chose that rather than sleeping in a comfy bed next to him. _Is she Catholic or something?_ He hardly ever saw her with her hair down, something he deeply regretted. And he definitely _never_ saw her in a pair of his boxers and a Black Sabbath t-shirt. He didn't mind that change. She looked perfect in her business attire anyway, but he felt that a thing as simple as a pair of shorts, finally knocked down the professional barrier that even though tiny, still existed between them. He was thirsty, he needed Advil, _badly_ but he tried his best not to make a sound. He wasn't fit to make her breakfast and coffee as he'd like to, but he decided to let her at least get some sleep. He did, but others at the company apparently weren't as kind. Her Blackberry suddenly started vibrating on the coffee table next to the sofa. Pepper immediately jumped up and answered the call. _Whoever it is, they can consider themselves fired._

'Ok, ok, thank you.' Pepper said and hung up. Now helicopters were flying over the building and the place was filled with ambulances. People were still moving around chaotically. 'Oh God,' Pepper whispered to herself.

'Ekhem,' Tony coughed to get her attention. 'What was that?'

'Someone just bombed the American embassy in London. Look.' She pointed at the screen.

'No, I meant the call.'

'Phil. Do you need anything? How are feeling? Did you sleep well?' Tony was surprised at this sudden bombardment with questions. Pepper apparently didn't want to talk about what was in the news, she seemed really anxious about it.

'What did _he _want?' Tony asked, feeling slightly jealous. _Phil, since when is Agent Coulson called Phil? Phew!_

'To say that…um, he hopes you'll get better soon.' She needed to make a pause before answering, as if she had…hesitated? Tony had never seen Pepper like this. She was evidently worried, but there was something more to the situation. As if he was talking to someone else. His Pepper never stammered, never hesitated, even after sleepless night spent at work, or cleaning up one of his parties.

'Pepper? What did he _really _say?' Tony tried to sound as insistent as possible, but he was still weak, and sure that he sounded pathetic.

'You shouldn't worry about it now.' She cut him off.

'I'm not worrying. Just tell me.'

'The missile that destroyed the building…it was one of ours, stolen.'

Even though breathing itself was difficult as it was, Tony felt his heart skip a beat. The break-in itself was enough of a problem, but now a friendly country getting attacked by American weapons only added insult to injury. He was sure that the damn senate would send him to court again, claiming that SI posed a threat to America's interests! _Damn it, damn it! _But wait? It was Pepper who was CEO now, Pepper who would be held responsible and have to take the blame. _Fuck. _

'Tony, I will…call someone to stay with you. I really need to go, I don't want to, but…You know it's just…difficult…'He couldn't believe that she was talking to him as if he was a little kid. Pepper was afraid of Tony's reaction. She looked at him and found him squeezing his eyes tightly.

_I should have thought about that._ For once in his life he was sorry that his calculations were right. That's because they told him that the solution he injected himself with would not only counter-act the symptoms caused by the poison, but also the job done by morphine.

'Are you ok?' Pepper asked worriedly.

'Mhm,' he mumbled in reply. 'Can you…um, get me some proper clothes? A navy suit will do, I guess.'

'Tony, why would you need a suit?'

'Well, I can't leave you with all this mess, so I'll go with you.' The reply came out, as if it was the most natural thing to say in the current situation. Pepper was immediately right next to him, with her hand on his forehead.

'Tony, you're burning up. You know you can't go anywhere now, right?'

'I know I can't leave you with all that as well.' He replied. Knowing how stubborn Pepper could be, he tried to lift himself up and get out of bed. His attempt ended with a wretched groan and a grimace of pain on his face. The sudden change of position made his head hurt and he could swear he opened up all of his wounds again.

'Tony, if there is one thing in this world I want you to take seriously, it is your own health. Now, lie down and don't move.' Pepper was now genuinely angry. She kept doing all she could to help him and he couldn't be mature even for a moment. She felt as if she was dealing with a little brat. But Tony was a kind of person, that no one could stay annoyed with for long. Especially someone who knew him so well, someone who simply loved him.

Pepper could only imagine how horrible Tony had to be feeling and she was the one person, who would do all in her power to make it better. She lied on the spare part of the king sized bed next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, having made sure she wouldn't hurt him. In response, Tony wrapped his arm around her and kissed her gently on the head.

'I know what we can do,' he whispered softly into her ear. 'Change the dress code at the company. I think everyone should start wearing my underwear and shirts. If they all looked half as good as you, we'd become the sexiest company in the world.' Pepper couldn't help but laugh at his remark.

'That stuff is actually quite comfy. I hope you don't have anything against…'

'Of course I do Miss Potts, ' he started mocking her. 'I don't know what we will do about this grievous offence. How about you get rid of the outfit straight away?'

'I'm so sorry, Mr. Stark,' Pepper decided to play his little game. ' But I still think that as a compensation I should do something more beneficial to you than that.'

'Oh, Miss Potts, but you following my suggestion would be very beneficial indeed,' he whispered, brushing his goatee against her neck.

'I just cannot see where your argument is coming from. How about we just forget the whole thing? It's the first time something like that happened in the end.' She replied sweetly.

'I really don't think I can let it pass.' Pepper felt a prick of guilt; she knew she should be heading to the company right now, but Tony's charms wouldn't let her go. She turned around and laid a kiss on his lips, while playing with a lock of his hair at the same time.

'How about now?' she asked, smiling at him.

'Oh well, I pride myself with being a good boss, so let's forget it this once.' Having said that Tony returned a smile. 'Shall we watch a movie? I've got some crappy rom…'he stopped mid-sentence realizing that using the word 'crappy' might not be the best form of encouragement. 'I've got some comedies that I thought you might like and we haven't done anything together in ages. I might even have some popcorn in the kitchen and…'

'I'd love to Tony, but…you know, there's stuff I need to do.' She hated herself for saying that. She had always been running the company for him. Because she didn't want _him _to look like an idiot in front of the directors, because she didn't want _him_ to be picked on by Vanity Fair. And now she got so engaged in it all, that what he _actually_ wanted was suddenly pushed down the 'to-do list'. 'Maybe when I come back, we could watch the movie and just try to relax a bit.'

'Yeah, maybe,' he murmured. At the moment he hated the damn company, he hated his grandfather who created it in the first place and he hated…_No, never. Whatever she does, I'll always love her._ But he still hated the fact that the company which had been his whole life, was acting as a barrier between him and the only person that he genuinely cared about and wanted to be with. Especially at a time like that.

The atmosphere became tense. Pepper had got another call, this time from the senator, who requested an explanation for what happened. The British PM wouldn't leave the line, making the president very annoyed indeed and because of the General's sudden urge to blame someone, all the security guards who didn't get hurt during the break-in lost their jobs. Pepper was only hoping that the same wouldn't happen to her. Tony remained silent, just lying motionless in the bed. All the traces of comfort and calamity that were present when Pepper was close disappeared from his face and were replaced by a pained grimace.

'Tony, Happy's here, I need to go now.' She hated having to leave him and believed that this goodbye needed more than just an 'I need to go'. She kissed him goodbye and was about to leave, when another thought crossed her mind. 'Tony, just remember. If you try to do something stupid, rip your stiches, bleed out and die, I swear that I'm going to kill you.'

'Assimilated and understood, ma'am. I'm gonna miss you ma'am.'

Then she was gone.

**There you go lovely readers! I hope you liked it. **

**PLEASE REVIEW and tell me what you think. They really motivate me and all the feedback will be great. Being just a humble, crappy writer I need advice in order to improve :DDD**


	9. Chapter 9

**This is definitely one of the very last chapters.**

**It seems to be that no one is reading this bullshit anymore.**

**School starts on Wednesday (blah), so I won't have too much time for having a life and writing **

**Anyway, I hope you like this one more. I did actually enjoy writing it again after quite a long break.**

Pepper was exhausted, worried and angry but she decided not to let it show. She walked confidently down the hall, trying to prepare herself for what was about to happen. She had just left a meeting with the defence minister, accompanied by a couple of SI board members and found herself blamed for the recent events. She was sure that the people in the room didn't believe it was actually her fault, but someone had to be held responsible, and seeing that Tony had suddenly disappeared mysteriously, she was the next person in the line of fire. The men in the room kept giving her cold glances, asking themselves what the heck was wrong with Stark. He could be irresponsible and childish at times, but when it came to doing business, he was capable of putting himself together and working as a proper businessman. They had never suspected he would appoint his CEO, basing his decision on his experiences from the night before. They had never actually suspected he would step down at all. But there she was, sitting with them at the table, trying to make them see sense. But what chance did she have against them all?

She had seen Tony surrounded by the paparazzi many times before. Even if something was wrong, he could put on his best smile and make fun of it in front of the cameras, looking confident, stylish and relaxed. She started doubting whether she could do the same. And thinking about Tony didn't make smiling easier.

'Miss Potts, how would you comment on the situation?'

'Do you think this will have a lasting impact on American-British relations?'

'What is happening to ?'

'Don't you think the job of the CEO is too much to take up?'

'Why did Stark even appoint _you?'_

All the questions thrown at her, all the flashes of the camera, all the uncertainties. Yet Pepper kept walking forwards, ignoring her surroundings and focusing on the more important things. As soon as the door of the limousine closed she took a deep breath.

'Did you see the expression on that Forbes woman faces, when you just ignored her? Hilarious,' Andy, the driver, congratulated Pepper, knowing that she wasn't having a great time and needed cheering up.

'I was too busy focusing on the car ahead, but I'm sure it was funny,' she replied politely, not wanting to start a conversation. The driver respected her wish and remained silent.

'Shall I drive to the office straight away?'

'No, no. I need to wait for a couple of reports that will be sent to my computer. Let's just get back to Tony's place. I need to think.'

The journalists kept flashing their cameras and throwing questions, even as the black dodge sped away.

'It wasn't too bad, was it?' Tony asked, glancing at Happy. 'Hey man, don't look at me like that!'

'Like what Mr. Stark?' the driver asked, even though he knew the answer already. He couldn't help turning around to look at his boss every second, just to make sure the man was still breathing.

'I'm fine…well, that kinda depends on how you define 'fine'…it's a relative idea you see, defining 'fine' in a fine manner…' Tony didn't feel fine, however one would describe the word. He was getting annoyed by not getting any better, but at the same time he knew that he owed it to his own bravado. However, he was more concerned about how Pepper would deal with the situation. It was all happening at the wrong time. She needed him and he couldn't be there for her…

Happy just stared at Tony, having one of his usual rambles.

'Sorry, I'll stop now. But she did fine, didn't she? Those pigs don't want the truth, they want rubbish stories that people want to read about and she won't give it to them. She's brilliant…' Happy smiled. He knew how his boss was with women, but Pepper seemed to be really special. Whenever he mentioned her he spoke in superlatives and for the first time in his life, he seemed to genuinely care about someone.

'The British Prime Minister himself requested, that the people responsible for the security breach at Stark Industries be punished. He said that it is unacceptable, that the directors of the company reap the benefits of destruction, but when a problem arises, try to talk their way out of it. The President replied that steps would be taken to solve the problem and punish those whose carelessness led to the disaster, but he has not yet specified what exactly would be done.' Tony felt like punching the TV speaker. _Benefits of destruction? Yeah man, clean energy is soooo evil. Punished, you can kiss my ass, you damn British imperialist! _**(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, I love Brits, you guys are lovely, but seeing that Tony isn't in the best mood, and sees himself as an American patriot I thought that would be appropriate ;))** Tony momentarily forgot about where he was, what he was doing and tried to get up. _Ow,ow,ow…not a good idea._ A sharp sting in his kidney brought him back to reality. He managed not to make a sound, so that Happy wouldn't freak out, but he couldn't help tears coming to his eyes. He squeezed them tightly and clenched his teeth.

'Are you okay?' He immediately felt a bit better, as the voice did not belong to his driver.

'Yup.' _Not really, but you know I wouldn't tell you anyway, don't you._ 'You were…amazing you know. I mean…you are always awesome, but there on the TV.'

'I didn't do anything Tony.'

'Exactly. That's the point I'm making.' Happy left the room, as Pepper gave him a nod. She was left alone with Tony again. 'But, I need to get up. I can't leave you like that. It's all such a mess. You know, they could persecute you for that, don't you? They'll always try to find someone who's guilty. The Brits just won't leave it and those damn bureaucrats _will_ throw someone to the wolves. And it should be me.' For the first time since primary school, he wanted to be responsible. He wanted to put on a suit, to call for a press conference, see the senator and keep to the schedule for once. And why? It was all because of Pepper. If someone had told Tony that he would act this way because of a woman, he would laugh at them. But she was Pepper. She was special.

'Don't be stupid. It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault. Bad stuff just tends to happen to good people.'

'Or forget the politics. I could just put on the armour, find those bastards and bring them to justice. Hey, that's actually good.'

'Yes, apart from the fact that you cannot physically do it.' She replied in a motherly tone.'

'I could if I really wanted to.' _Could I? For Pepper? I did it once, in Afghanistan didn't I? Just thinking about her made it work, and now she's here, next to me and I'll just let it be? _

'Anthony Edward Stark, this is a big no, no. Don't you dare try anything, please. How are you feeling?'

'Crap. It doesn't matter. Are _you_ coping all right?'

'Yep. I can stay for a while, just being available on the phone and email.'

'Well, then I'm feeling great.' He replied, lying back down. Even a short conversation still made him pant for breath, as if he had just ran a marathon.

Pepper sat down next to Tony. She wanted to make it all work for him. Seeing him sick _and_ worried made her heart break. She brushed away a lock of dark hair, falling onto his right eye and pressed her palm to his forehead.

'You're burning up. Get some sleep, maybe it'll get better.' She sealed the statement with a delicate kiss on his cheek.

'You said you were waiting for a call. Well, I won't have you waiting alone,' he stated, grabbing her hand and holding it in his.

'Tony, you need to rest, please. You'll just make it worse. Listen to me for once.' She moved from the chair to the bed, next to Tony, ignoring the fact that she was still wearing her business attire. He shifted slightly to get closer to her. He never thought moving could require so much effort, but getting closer to Pep was worth it. He would crawl across the globe just to get to her. Seconds later, Pepper found herself unable to move, with Tony's head resting on her lap.

'You know, we've done this before, it'll be all right,' he mumbled. 'Remember the Hammer guy…?'

Pepper laughed. 'He was ridiculous. Do you remember that case a couple of years ago, this guy who tried to sue you because you um…broke his car on the motorway? And his face, when you told him your name! I was so angry with you, if only you had listened to me and…' she started mocking Tony, hoping to get him to relax a bit and stop focusing on the negatives. Funny, usually he would be the one making jokes.

'That one was good. But it wasn't my fault. Speaking of listening…this is my fault this time. I…' he started.

'Shut it Tony.'

'Remember what happened the last time you didn't listen to me?'

'Are you dying again?'

'No. Well, I hope I'm not. Not that I know of it anyway. But…'

'Then you listen to me. Once upon a time there was a genius, who fell ill and needed to rest. And he had a girlfriend who cared about him very much and would be very sad and worried, if he didn't listen to her advice. Finally he did listen, got better, while she managed the company just fine. And in the end, they went to Venice, he took her to a romantic supper and then they sailed around the city in a Gondola. ' Pepper tried to make it sound as if she was telling a story to a little child, for Tony it was still music for his ears. Pepper started playing with a lock of his dark hair, while talking. For the first time since he had left the house on his last mission, he felt safe. He felt as if he could close his eyes, and that someone, his guardian angel, was looking after him.

Pepper was more than happy to see Tony sleeping relatively peacefully. His breathing wasn't so irregular anymore and the expression on his face was definitely less pained and more relaxed than over the last two weeks.

**There you go. I really hope you liked it ;)**

**PLEASE, IF THERE IS STILL ANYONE OUT THERE READING THIS LET ME KNOW AND REVIEW OR EVEN PM ME. I'll be very busy over the next few weeks and if I know that it worth my time, I will find some time to continue the story. However, if not, I think I might have to just leave it be and finish it for myself once I am done with my exams and all the work.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Firstly, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE COMMENTS AND MESSAGES. THEY ABSOLUTELY MOTIVATED ME TO WRITE THIS ONE. YOU ARE AWESOME, AMAZING AND FANTASTIC, AND AS MUCH AS I LOVE WRITING, NO WORDS CAN TELL YOU HOW HAPPY YOU MADE ME. THAAAAANK YOOOOUUUUUU :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD**

**I hope I won't disappoint you with this one. Please REVIEW as well **

The room was nearly completely dark with only a few candles throwing shadows onto the paneled floor. A bottle of iced champagne was standing on the table, accompanied by the most expensive and sophisticated dishes, that Tony could find. It was supposed to be a special evening, their evening. He even bothered putting on a tuxedo and a bowtie – something that he tried to avoid whenever he could. He put a hand into his trousers pocked, squeezing the tiny box tightly and taking a big breath.

'Sir, Miss Potts is approaching.'

'Thanks, JARVIS.' Tony said confidently. 'Wish me luck,' he added, more to himself that the AI.

They have eaten, they have laughed. So far everything was going great. Even those SHIELD buffoons managed to leave them alone for one evening. It had to be now or never. If Tony didn't ask her now, he would never find the courage again. He stood up, straightened his jacket and took a deep breath.

'Are you going somewhere? Oh, it's been such a gorgeous evening, Tony.' Pepper smiled at him. His knees nearly buckled under him when he looked at her beautiful smile. His legs felt like jelly and the whole world seemed to be confined to that one room at the top of the Stark Tower. Having taken one last deep breath, he took the ring out of his pocked and knelt in front of her. Seeing the expression on her face changing, Tony decided to hurry.

'Virginia Pepper Potts, the most wonderful woman I have even known. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?' he spit out. The world seemed to have stopped and he could swear he could hear the clock ticking.

'I…yes, I would Tony…'

'Tony! Tony….Toonyyy, hey. Wakey, wakey…' _What the hell do you want, I'm busy…Wait, Peps? _Tony!' he felt someone shaking his arm. _Ouch, you really didn't need to do that_.

'W-w-what…?' Tony mumbled and opened his eyes. He was back in his bedroom, with Pepper staring at him. 'Hey.'

'All right, Tony?' she asked, worry filling her voice.

'Yup. Fine. Yeah.' _No. Why did you have to wake me? I was having such a nice dream… Actually Peps, why don't you marry me, huh? _

'I'm glad you managed to get some sleep,' Pepper stated stroking his hair. 'The nurse is here.'

'What does _she _want? I'm already taken.' He joked, grinning at Pepper, who returned a slight smile.

'She might not want to be the one having to deal with _you, _but you need to get your bandages changed.'

'No, I don't,' he replied, pulling a duvet over his head and burying his face deep in the pillow. He could hear Pepper sigh. Seconds later he felt someone pull at the duvet delicately.

'To-o-o-o-ny, let go of the duvet, will you?' Pepper said. Tony could hear her laugh.

'Nope.' He had to try really hard to prevent her getting the cover off him.

'Tony, don't be childish. Come on,' Pepper tried to sound assertive, but she couldn't help chuckling. 'The sooner you get the duvet of your head, the sooner you'll be done with it.'

'Stop sounding like my mum Pep.'

'Stop sounding like my 4 years old nephew.' She replied, still trying to suppress laughing.

'You told me to sleep boss, that's what I'm trying to do.' He started enjoying this game and decided to drag it on for as long as possible.

'Yes, but now…' she didn't even manage to finish the sentence, because Tony backfired at her.

'Let me sleep, I thought you had work to do,' he joked, which gave Pepper an idea about how to get him to listen.

'Actually, you are soooo right Tony. I think I'll just go to the office straight away. _Maybe_ I'll come to see you tomorrow, but seeing the amount of paperwork that needs to me done, it might prove quite difficult. It's such a shame. Anyway, get better soon.' Having said that Pepper got up and started heading towards the door, walking around the carpet, to make sure that the sound her heels were making would be audible to Tony. She was about to cross the threshold, when a loud bang got all her attention.

Tony pushed the duvet off his head with so much force, that he knocked over a cup standing on his bedside table. Luckily, the mug was strong enough to survive contact with the floor. He didn't even think that he could muster so much force in himself at the moment. _Told you I could do anything for you, Pep. _

'What?' he said. 'You're not going anywhere.'

'Now that you started behaving like a normal person, I might re-consider my decision.'

'Please do, Miss Potts. I always told you work wasn't that important.'

'And I always told you to listen. Now get yours shirt off.' She commanded.

'I might need a hand with that…' he replied. Pepper wasn't sure whether he was serious or just trying to play with her again.

'Oh, so you _are _actually 4 years old…' she commented jokingly.

'No. It's just that everything hurts, but if you don't…I'll manage…' Pepper hated herself at the moment, because she could see that her remark genuinely upset Tony. He started pulling the shirt over his head, and failed to suppress a loud hiss escaping between his clenched teeth. Pepper got into her worried mood again, still being able to see traces of blood on the white fabric. Tony must have noticed the worried expression on her face.

'It's because of this damn poison. But don't worry, it's fine. I hate it when you're worried. It's better now anyway.'

'I can't help being worried Tony. This is…just wrong.' The nurse entered the bedroom, as they were talking.

'How are we feeling, Mr. Stark?' she asked cheerfully. She was a plump young woman. A huge smile was glued to her face and her eyes were radiating with sympathy and patience, yet Tony couldn't help being annoyed with her for some reason.

'So, so,' he cut her off, without even bothering to politely say 'thank you'.

'Have you taken your pain medications?'

'Yes.'

'Great.'

'Not so great. They don't seem to work.' As Tony said that, the woman seemed confused, they should have. _Oh well, they didn't. Shame._ Pepper sat next to Tony and rubbed his back with her hand. She didn't need words to show him that she cared.

'Miss Potts, I suggest you leave for the time being.' The nurse said, and Pepper replied with a questioning glance. Not that she was jealous, she wouldn't have that.

'Why would that be necessary?' Pepper knew that her phone might go off any second and she would have to leave, so she wanted to spend as much time as possible with Tony, now that she had the chance.

'She's right Pep, it's not pretty.' Tony mumbled quietly. He cursed himself inside for saying that. _I want you to stay, but I don't want you to get upset. Potentially problematic…potentially problematic indeed… _'But if you're sure you want to, then…' he couldn't stop himself. But leaving the choice to her was easier than making the decision himself.

'It's fine. Getting shot is not the worst I've caught you doing.'

'Just to save you asking Peps: these are not bullet holes.' They smiled at each other understandingly and the nurse shot them a weird glance, not understanding what these two were on about. But when she realised that it was some sort of an inside joke, she couldn't help noticing that the red had and the scientist made a really adorable couple.

'I'm sorry Tony, are you mocking me? Because if you are…'

'You'll punish me severely, right? Deprive me of water, food and lock me up in a cell for the rest of my life?' he started to tease her.

'More like go to Washington for a month, having locked up your drinks and made sure you wouldn't be able to watch the Big Bang Theory.'

'OH MY GOD, I knew you were no angel, but I never suspected that you could go as far as depriving me of the Big Bang Theory. Did you know that the Declaration of Human Rights actually doesn't allow torturing people?'

Tony got so engaged in the conversation with Pepper that he stopped paying attention to what the other woman was doing. Her taking of the bandage brought him back to reality and a loud cry of pain escaped his lips. Pepper glanced at his injuries and couldn't help wincing herself. Only now did she realize what a mess he got himself into.

'Dear God…Tony…'

'Told you it wasn't pretty,' he mumbled through a mist of pain. He clenched fistfuls of bedding with his hands and closed his eyes, trying to focus on something else. He didn't want to appear soft and vulnerable in front of Pepper, but human beings act instinctively and he couldn't help a loud groan every now and then.

'Tony, you know I was being absolutely serious about Venice.' Pepper said seeing in how much distress he was.

'Great….ow,ow…oooooooow. It's a great idea. I…I love it.' _I love you_, he added a mental note.

'There's a place I need to show you, I always used to go there with my parents and brother. You'll love it.' Tony wanted to focus on Pep's voice, but couldn't. As the nurse was cleaning and re-dressing the wounds, he felt as if the rocket was tearing through his body over and over again. 'Once I nearly fell into the canal, would you believe that? _Why is everything so blurred? Aaargh, stop spinning, my dear bedroom, will you? _

Once the nurse done, Tony fell heavily onto the mattress. He hadn't realized it before, but his whole body was trembling and he was breathing heavily.

'Morphine? … Please?' he managed to whisper loud enough for Pepper to hear it.

'Tony, you've been running on morphine for the last couple of days. I can swear that you've overdosed anyway. Plus, it's addictive.' The nurse only nodded, and seeing that Tony wasn't feeling great left hurriedly.

Pepper wasn't sure what to do seeing the state he was in.

'Peps, I'm damn serious,' he barked at her, even though he didn't mean to sound so harsh. 'Just…please.' Pepper took a deep breath and knelt on the floor next to the bed.

She started stroking his hair gently with one hand, holding Tony's with the other one.

'Shhh, it's all right Tony, just breathe. I'm right here.'

'I'm pat…pathetic,' he stammered.

'Now, you're not. Do you know what's pathetic? You constantly trying to be a hero, you're just a human. An amazing one, but still a human.' She kissed Tony delicately, to show him that she was sincere with the 'amazing' part. 'And I hate seeing you like this, you need to stop getting into trouble.'

'You mean stop being Ironman?' He certainly wouldn't have that.

'I don't know…just…you should think about it and…'

'You know how my…my parents died, don't you? In a car accident.' Pepper became worried about this sudden change of topic. Has Tony been hiding something from her again? 'But it wasn't my dad's fault. The other driver was drunk. He ended up with a concussion and a few broken ribs and got a couple of years in prison.' Tony was staring blankly at the blank TV screen. 'But my dad was the best driver ever. When I was little he would wait for me like 10 minutes to fasten the seatbelt, he wouldn't start the engine otherwise. And the accident _wasn't_ his fault.'

'I'm sorry Tony, I know.' Pepper wasn't sure how to reply. Tony had always hated talking about his father and never even mentioned him unless he absolutely had to.

'Anyone could have died in that accident. It could have been a shopkeeper from Brooklyn or the President. But my parents died. And what would happen if I didn't stop that damn missile, huh? Who would have died? How many people?'

'But there are others to take care of that, you don't always have to put yourself in danger, just because of some ridiculous moral principles Tony!'

'But that is _exactly_ what I am saying! It is not about moral principles. If that rocket reached Washington people I care about could have died. Rhodey could have died, Happy could have died.'

Tony took a break, it was hard to breathe again.

'And….whenever I freak out and…just when I'm not sure whether I'm brave or rather crazy enough to do something, I think that…_you _Pep, might end up being the one getting hurt. And I'll do whatever it takes to stop that.' The room was silent again. Tony could swear his heart was beating faster than ever before and Pepper suddenly felt as if the heating had been turned up to maximum.

'Tony, I don't know what to say.'

'Don't talk. Just give me morphine.'

'Don't stark on that again. Just rest.' Tony laid back on the pillow, trying to ignore the pain. 'Tony, I might not be such a good public speaker as you, but…you'll always be the greatest superhero for me. Remember that.'

Eventually Tony did manage to fall asleep again. When he closed his eyes he was hoping he could dream about that memorable evening again.

###

When Rhodey called, Pepper was glad Tony was asleep. She was only dreading the moment when he would find out, most likely from the news, that under pressure from Whitehall, the US President decided to send the Chief Executive Officer of Stark Industries to court under the charge of collaborating with hostile non-governmental organisations.

**A cliffhanger, I know I'm evil. **

**Anyway, I hope you liked it. I'll try to update as soon as possible ;)**

**Again, thank you for all the lovely comments and messages I got after the last chapter. IT DOES MOTIVATE ME as I'm sure you can see. I spent my last out-of-school day writing this, but I believe it was a well-spent time! **

**I hope you take your time to REVIEW this one as well :DDDD**


	11. Chapter 11

**OK, so for not touching this story for the last six months I am officially an IDIOT. I should be the one getting persecuted, but anyway. **

**The next chapter is here, and I hope somebody will still read it and enjoy it. It came as a result of my procrastination, since I'm supposed to be revising for my A-levels right now. But hey, I'm a genius anyway, so you're worth it! **

**And I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited for Iron Man 3. Can't wait ;)**

As soon as Tony woke up he knew something was wrong. Something was missing, he could feel it, he just wasn't sure exactly what it was. As soon as he opened his eyes he noticed Pepper wasn't by his side any more. And there was this annoying noise, drilling through his head. What was making it? _Just__stop.__Now.__Seriously._But it wouldn't. It's been there long enough for Tony to realize it was his phone lying on the bedside table.

'What?' whoever dared interrupt him should not count on pleasantries.

'Is Pepper around? I really need to talk to her.'

'Hey Rhodey, it's good to hear you too buddy. What do you need my girlfriend for?' Tony asked. However badly he felt, teasing Rhodey was always fun.

'I don't want your girlfriend, I want the CEO of your company immediately . Is she there?' To Tony's surprise his friend sounded annoyed. Why would anyone want to be annoyed with him?

'No, but…' Tony didn't get to finish the sentence before Rhodey hang up without even saying 'bye'. He started wondering whether he was dreaming since the house was eerily quiet and his whole world seemed to have stood up on its head. A dream? A nightmare more like.

'JARVIS, TV on. Show me some news, I've lacked contact with the outside world long enough.' The TV right in front of him flickered immediately. He was relieved to see that the news about the bombing in London were gone. At least the media would make it more bearable for Pepper than usually. But seconds later he realised that the building the reporter was standing in front of was familiar as well. _Oh,__what__is__it__this__time?_

'The new CEO of Stark Industries is going to speak to us in about an hour and explain the company's stance in relation to the recent terrorist attacks and how she is going to handle the process in court ruled by the British MoD. It is the biggest blow the firm yet had to face and speculators claim that this time, it will not get out on top. Neither the British, nor the American security services have released any information as to what exactly happened, but…'

'TV off.' Tony felt like for the first time ever his brain stopped working. He couldn't understand anything, nothing made sense…but the brain was also responsible for handling the nervous system and that assured him that it was just fine. Otherwise how could his body be burning so much?

'Hello?' He got no reply. The house was empty. Wasn't Happy supposed to be there with him? He tired calling Pepper. Nothing.

'JARVIS? Run through all the CCTV recordings, decrypt all the CIA files on the attack even the news coverage…oh and don't forget SHIELD. I want to know who's responsible.'

'Sir, I've just…'

'I don't care. Just get down to it. You have an hour.' The AI remained silent for the next couple of minutes. Tony just lied down and tried to steady his breathing. Everything hurt, but there were more important things on his mind. He was always there to play around, make jokes and show off in his suit in front of Pepper. Now that she really needed him, he failed.

'Sir…'

'What the hell JARVIS? I can't remember programming you to be so annoying and slow and useless…' his voice broke, he had _never_ spoken to JARVIS like that.

'Sir. Please, do remain quiet for a moment. I have been gathering and synthesizing all the data as soon as the break in happened. It seems to have been work of a branch of the Ten Rings you might be familiar with – they have been operating an extremist youth organisation through a network across the US for the…'

'Can you track their location now? Give me an estimate at least.'

'Sir, would you like me to transmit the date to the CIA's or SHIELD's network? They might be able to intervene in order to detain the individuals responsible.'

'Just give me the location. And prepare the suit.' He would show them all. He would bring those bastards to justice, save Pepper and then…why not take her to Venice? Perfect, he had a plan, now he just needed to get up and…ouch. OW, OW, OW…_K,__I__wonder__how__many__stitches__I__'__ve__ripped__now.__Change__of__plans.__Stay__in__bed__for__now,__call__Rhodey.__Genius._

XXXXXXX

'You want me to do what?!' Rhodey almost jumped up when Tony told him. He ran out of the most important meeting in his life, just because his friend called him, claiming he was on his own, lonely and most probably dying just to find him making up crazy plans about terrorists, breaking into the most secure computer system in the country and _Rhodey__pretending__to__be__Iron__Man_. Terrorists-easy, computers-Tony got along with them better than with people but Rhodey being Iron Man was just wrong.

'You heard what I said. I need you to jump into the suit, go to this hell-hole here ' he pointed at a map that JARVIS was projecting onto the wall, 'get the bastards who did it and bring them to that damn press conference.'

'This is ridiculous Tony. You know I can't do this.'

'Do you know what's ridiculous? Pepper getting hurt because of me is ridiculous. Me acting irresponsibly all the time is ridiculous. Your damn politics is ridiculous…' Tony couldn't block out the images he had seen on the TV. Bombs, explosions…it felt like Afghanistan all over again. Except Pepper was there now and she was in trouble…and he could do nothing to help her. He was too weak to stand on his own, let alone get into more fights. 'Rhodey, I'm b…' his voice trailed off and his eyes turned watery. 'I'm begging you Rhodey,' Tony spat out. So that was it, his pride was now gone, together with his sanity. The other man just looked at him in shock, guilt sweeping over him. Tony never even used the world 'please' throughout his whole life and now he was suddenly _begging_. After all, they were talking about saving Pepper and over the last couple of weeks Rhodey learnt that Tony would do anything for her.

The Colonel sighed, realising in how much trouble he could get as a result of being part of this.

'JARVIS, sort me out with the suit, would you?' he murmured, hating himself for his foolishness.

XXXXXXX

Happy Hogan hated the place when it was so quiet. It always meant trouble, and he suspected that now it wouldn't be much different. He hasn't seen Tony in a while, and knowing how poorly he'd been faring recently, he didn't mind it staying this way. But his boss called him and said he needed him, which left Happy with little choice, but to leave the SI compound and see Tony in Malibu.

'Hey Happy,' the driver was greeted by a feeble shadow of Tony's usual energetic greeting. He was surprised to find a panting Tony Stark leaning against the headboard of the bed with his eyes closed and his teeth gritted. 'Let's go. I might need a hand here.'

'Where boss? You're in no state to move and how come you are…?'

'Just drive me to that press conference Happy. Don't worry. Don't ask questions. Drive.' Tony had spent the last thirty-five minutes, trying to get himself into a dark suit, constantly wincing at the discomfort it caused him. He wasn't going to back down now. Pepper needed him. _His_ Pepper needed him, and he was never going to give in to a few bruises. Even if it was to cost him ripping his stiches and spending more time tied to a bed later. Or worse if he was unlucky. _I don't care Pepper. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry I ever put you in harm's way_.

The driver still looked hesitant, so Tony tried to grab the edge of the table standing nearby to support his weight. _Not a good idea_, he realized before he crumpled to the ground.

'Boss, you honestly shouldn't even try to…I'll call Pepper when the conference is over, it should start in a few minutes and I'll get her to…'

'For **ck's sake Happy! Damn it! Just do what I'm asking you to, ok?!' he rasped, while grabbing Hogan's forearm with all the strength he could muster. 'Let's go.'

Happy sighed with resignation, knowing that Pepper would never forgive him this stunt, and having slung Tony's shoulder around his neck, started leading him down to the garage.

_I'm coming Pep. Let's just hope I get this right._

XXXXXXX

'We can assure you, as we have assured the authorities, that Stark Industries has not been involved in the catastrophe in any way. We are going to start an investigation and hopefully come up with an answer as to how something like this could have happened.' Pepper was glad that she was standing behind the lectern, because her knees were shaking uncontrollably. This was not professional, but she could not care less.

'And where is Mr. Stark when the company needs him most? Shouldn't he be supporting you? Has he decided to come back to his 'playboy-billionaire' lifestyle?'

Pepper couldn't think of an answer immediately, since she was too focused on trying to remain in an upright position. What was she supposed to tell them? If she told the truth, the press would not leave Tony alone for weeks. If she lied…she _couldn't _even lie. The press would still stick to Tony for days on. Awkward silence fell over the conference room and the only audible sound was that of photographs being taken. Pepper could imagine the covers of the evening papers. She could only pray that Tony wouldn't put his hand on one. He had enough problems to think about.

Suddenly, she saw a red shape entangled with something else coming towards the glassed building. _Tony, if that's you then I swear, I'm going to kill you._

The shape, which indeed was Iron Man, smashed through the glass wall and landed on the marble floor amongst journalists who immediately started taking photos. The person in the suit was holding two young men, whose looks pointed towards Arab origins. They tried to run away as soon as they got separated from the suit as a result of the impact, but Iron Man was faster and dragged them both back into the hall, dropping them back onto the floor.

At the same time, four black cars arrived at the compound and the presence of their occupants was noticed only when bodyguards in black uniforms ran into the room, followed by no one else, but the Home Secretary himself. Pepper was about to run down the steps of the podium, check if Tony was ok and give him a never ending lecture about his health, but she realised that the metal figure had gone.

Instead, seconds later, Tony Stark, supporting himself with a cane and closely followed by Rhodey, entered the hall and feebly shook the Home Secretary's hand.

**I really hope that you enjoyed it. Otherwise, I have waster a few precious moments of my life **

**Let me know if you liked it and whether you want some more, in other words REVIEW :DDD**

**Thanks for reading and cheerio! **


	12. Chapter 12

**HEY!****The****prodigal****kid****returns.****I****'****m****sorry****about****the****long****wait,****but****I****can****promise****that****now****the****updates****on****all****of****my****stories****will****be****much****more****regular.****Plus,****a****massive**** '****thank****you****' ****goes****to****all****those****wonderful****people****who****reviewed,****favourited****and****followed!**

**I****need****to****warn****you****that****in****this****one****Tony****is****super-badass,****and****I****hope****I****haven****'****t****spoilt****the****story.****If****I****have,****then****by****any****means****let****me****know**

**I****hope****you****enjoy,****et****voila!**

Tony was officially an idiot. He was going to mess up the press conference, he was going to mess up the company and most importantly, he was going to mess up _himself._Thank you very much Tony. Of course, all the reporters and photographers turned to him immediately. Pepper couldn't help but be grateful that thanks to Tony she managed to escape the spotlight for a brief moment to regain her composure and calm.

One glance at Tony was enough to tell her that the situation was definitely going to turn out badly. He was leaning heavily on the crutch that he was desperately holding in his hand, but aside from the pain and exhaustion painted all over his face she could see something else – anger. Was it anger or was it fear, she wondered.

_Tony,__please__don__'__t__do__anything__too__stupid.__Tony,__please__don__'__t__do__anything__too__stupid._

'The CIA was being a little slow for me, so I thought I'd crash those guys' party and bring them to justice kinda thing. Ten Rings, terrorists, bombers and thieves. They stole the weapons, they bombed the embassy, they're going to end up in Guantanamo, or wherever it is they belong to.' Pepper was pleasantly surprised at how steady Tony's voice was. She was afraid he might fall over any second now and hurt himself even more.

'Mr. Stark…?'one of the journalists attempted to stark asking a question, but Tony stopped him mid-sentence.

'Wait. Let me ask you a question. Or let me ask a question to our British friends from across the pond. What the hell is this all about? Those freaks hang out in their little hideouts, building more weapons, planning more attacks and you go around persecuting the very people you should be protecting!'

'Mr. Stark, what do you think…?' the young journalist attempted to continue his question.

'I promise. If you interrupt me again, I'm going to flip out on you.' Pepper was getting anxious. She had seen Tony annoyed, working on impossible projects for long hours, trying to solve problems that were truly unsolvable. She had never seen him so furious before. She could swear that if he wanted to, he could kill somebody just by looking at them.

'Mr. Stark!' Tony was about to open his mouth again, but he realized that this time it was the home secretary himself who decided to get engaged. All the reporters had grins painted on their faces. After all, you don't get to experience such a scene every day. 'Can you calm down and let Miss Potts talk to us and then we can….'

'I'm sorry, sir. Talk about what exactly? The thugs who did it are here. Isn't that what you wanted? I have evidence, I'm going to show it to you and the courts…' Pepper could sense desperation in his voice. He was charismatic and powerful for sure, but Tony Stark was no politician and he was trying to fight a force he was never able to understand.

'I am sorry, but the Brits have made the case clear enough. The have the right to pursue justice, according to their own rules and to the international system of justice and we will try our best to… Can you please remove yourselves from here?' the Home Secretary waved a hand at the reporters and motioned for the agents stationed around the room to escort the people out of the room. They attempted desperately to take some last snapshots that would earn them a couple of extra dollars, but soon Tony, and the invited politicians and diplomats were out of their sight.

'Justice? Is that what you call justice? Is the CEO of Stark Industries responsible for security breaches? Not in this case. Are you responsible for detecting and preventing terrorists from stealing weapons? Yes. Is what you are doing here just? No fucking way.' Pepper had to hold on to a nearby wall not to fall over. She could see Agent Coulson in the background. He appeared to be very interested in the state of his shoes, as his gaze was fixed on the floor, avoiding her eyes.

'The law is…'

'There is no law involved here. This is just politics. You know it as well as I do. Case solved, what else do you want?'

'Justice.' One of the boring-looking and posh-sounding Brits suddenly spoke up. Tony was sure, that if he wasn't having so much trouble remaining upright and not wincing every two seconds, he would come up to that idiot and punch him square in the jaw.

'Justice? Let's do a little experiment here, shall we?' The next few seconds were a blur. Tony spun around, snatched a gun from the belt of one of the federal agents, and a moment later one of the young thugs still remaining on the ground was clutching his bloodied leg. Tony dropped the gun immediately and braced himself to be tackled to the ground, bound and locked up somewhere. Strong hands grasped his weak silhouette and he was about to be pushed down onto the cold marble floor, when the Home Secretary took a step forward and motioned for the agents to step back. Everybody seemed to be ignoring the young man on the ground, regardless of his sobbing and all the curses escaping his mouth. Everybody was staring at Tony, who was now defiantly holding the gaze of the Briton who spoke up.

'I just shot a man. In cold blood. Are you going to have me arrested?'

'No,' the Home Secretary said.

'Are you going to persecute me in court?'

'Of course not.'

'Why, sir? I just _shot_ somebody.' Pepper was terrified. This wasn't Tony. This couldn't be Tony. Maybe he did finally manage to create a life-sized decoy? The people in the room who didn't know Tony very well had to be thinking that he was completely calm and indifferent. Pepper knew better. One look at his hand that was now clasping the crutch even more firmly told her how petrified Tony was.

'Well…you are Tony Stark, so I don't think you should be…you have done a lot for this country…sir.'

'Besides, he is just a common thug. Nothing more. He deserved it.' The British man stepped forward and now stood shoulder to shoulder with the Home Secretary. 'They will be interrogated and put behind bars. We will also need to speak to Miss Potts, but only in character of a witness. Nothing to fret about. Justice will be upheld, we value it highly.' Pepper could sense the unwillingness of the man to concede, but it was evident that Tony cornered him. In order to carry on making her life difficult, they would have to send Tony Stark to court…for doing their job for them. They knew damn well that he would make sure they would end up looking like the real idiots they were. A few people in high places would certainly be replaced with others, a few salaries would be cut. It was easier to just let him and leave Pepper alone.

'So shooting people for no actual reason rather than just mere revenge is what you call justice? In that case we don't have much more to talk about. We're leaving. I'll send you a dictionary and a legal code so that you can look up what you are talking about.' Tony shook the Home Secretary's hand. The man _actually_ smiled at Tony. Tony was a pain in the ass, but he was also something of a national treasure and his company and CEO going down, as a result of foreign intervention, wouldn't look very pretty from America's point of view.

Tony managed to make it to the door, where Rhodey was waiting for him, his mouth wide-open in shock. Pepper caught up with them and caught Tony by his other arm. Tony was panting for breath by now and his eyes have turned glassy, but he spared one last look to the young man, still writhing in agony on the ground.

'Aren't you calling an ambulance or something?' Tony asked, looking up at all the people in the room.

'We need to talk for now. He'll be fine, won't he?' someone replied, scoffing.

Tony motioned with his head for Rhodey and Pepper to lead him out of the building. With what little strength he had left in his battered body, he took his Starkphone out of his jacket.

'Send me an ambulance to the conference room in Sector 1. A young, male gunshot victim. Nothing life-threatening, but you can bill me for all the expenses and if you get here quickly, I'm paying double.'

The black Rolls Royce pulled up next to the trio. Rhodey insisted that Pepper got in first, followed by Tony and then himself. Neither of them said a word. The crisis seemed to be averted, but now Tony would have even more enemies in the Senate, British diplomats wishing he was dead and he was now leaning against the seat, clawing at his shirt with his hand and squeezing his eyes shut.

Pepper was terrified. Why was he so reckless? Why did he go to all this trouble? She knew well enough. Because of guilt, because of fear, because…_because__he__cared__about__her_. Now she was feeling guilty herself. Guilty, confused and sick worried about the feeble, quiet figure now leaning against her shoulder. She didn't want to appear weak in front of Tony, but it was all too much. As the car started moving away from the compound, tears started rolling down her cheeks. She made no sound, no voiceful indication of her distress. She just let them flow.

'Tony, what have you done…' she whispered, more to herself than him.

''m so sorry…' he mumbled. 'I wanted to do good, it had to be done… I'm so terribly sorry. I love you Peps. I love you so much I can't bear to watch someone try to hurt you and they...wouldn't just leave it…I didn't want to shoot this guy, but he was…and you were…'Tony's breath hitched in his throat. 'I didn't…'As the car came to an abrupt hold, Tony slid down his seat and his hand landed in Pepper's lap.

'Tony? Hey, Tony?' She slapped him gently on the cheek, panic rising up in her.

'Just tired. Don't worry. I think…Can I just take a nap, Pep?' She looked down on him, brushing away the tears. All the seriousness and anger were gone. He was just Tony again. No Mr. Stark. No owner of Stark Industries. Just Tony. He threw his arm over her waist and when the corners of her mouth shot up involuntarily upon seeing his normal self again, he returned the smile and took her reaction as an affirmative. He shifted a bit, burying his tired face in her blouse and she couldn't help, but hold him close and stroke his tousled hair soothingly. She was so preoccupied with the billionaire that she didn't even notice Rhodey smirking and looking out of the window, trying to hide his amusement at this sudden display of emotions.

Tony was still ill. The stocks have plummeted. SI weapons were still somewhere out there, waiting to be used. But the moment Pepper whispered a quiet 'I love you' and was rewarded by Tony's pleased murmur and a delicate smile dancing on his lips, she knew they would be all right.

**OK.****So****my****politics****teachers****would****probably****crucify****my****for****all****the****inaccuracies****in****this,****but****I****thought****that****since****it****'****s****a****fanfic,****and****not****a****political****theory****essay,****it****'****ll****do.**

**There****will****be****either****an****epilogue****or****another****chapter****and****an****epilogue****coming****up****soon,****depending****on****the****reception****of****this****one.****All****the****feedback,****whether****positive****or****negative,****will****be****massively****appreciated****and****rewarded****by****my****eternal****love.****PLEASE****REVIEW****;)****and****thank****you****for****reading.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for the reviews guys. This is kind of crap and long, but anyway…I guess that's what happens when you are a bad, depressed writer…It wasn't supposed to come out that long and I think I might need another chapter to wrap this up, so it's longer than I first wanted it to be. I am actually sorry about even writing this. I hope you forgive me **** I'm going to hide now…**

Pepper hasn't slept for over 48 hours, but she didn't feel tired at all. She was starting to understand how Tony managed to spend so much time running on adrenaline and caffeine alone when he got involved with something important for him. Coffee and her own body's defensive mechanisms were doing a fabulous job with keeping her awake, but she believed that had she not been so worried and angry at Tony she would probably have given in to the arms of Morpheus long ago.

That moron was now lying in a hospital bed again, with an IV drip in his arm, a couple of cables and monitors around him and a doctor coming into the room every now and then to make sure his patient didn't kill himself in his sleep. Pepper hated that doctor. The first thing he did when Happy and Rhodey carried the unconscious billionaire into the hospital was to tell her off for letting him pull off stunts like this, when she was supposed to be looking after him. In the process he managed to get into an argument with Rhodey who attempted to defend her, and Happy, who was eventually escorted out of the building having attempted to smash the guy's nose.

And Pepper knew that Tony would hate it when he woke up. She decided however, that this time she would not bend, and his puppy eyes would not convince her to get him out of there before he was in perfect shape again.

The record was impressive even for Tony. He managed to exhaust himself completely, re-open his wounds and go into shock, all within about 45 minutes. He really was incredible. The doctors said he should be fine, but then again, they didn't know how dangerous angry Pepper Potts could be.

She's been cradling Tony's free hand in hers for the last hour and 27 minutes (yes, she was counting), waiting for him to wake up. No matter how she hated him for being an idiot, she couldn't help rubbing circles into his palm and talking to him comfortingly every now and then. She thought he was getting better and then he got reduced to this again. There were few things that Tony hated more than lacking control over himself. In fact, Justin Hammer was probably the _only_ thing that he hated more. Having smoothed out his ruffled hair delicately, Pepper turned on the news. She hated waiting and needed to kill time somehow, not being able to wait for Tony to finally come back to the land of the living.

She was not surprised at all to see the coverage of the press conference on every single self-respecting news channel. The BBC was broadcasting live from London, where the Prime Minister finally announced that all the accusations brought against Stark Industries and its CEO would be immediately withdrawn. No matter how idiotic Tony was, he was also a hero. _Her_ hero – no Iron Man, simply Tony.

Pepper couldn't believe what was happening to her. Having listened to the news for a few minutes she suddenly felt a crushing tightness in her throat. The feeling was too familiar after 10 years of working for Tony Stark, because all she wanted to do now was open up and cry her eyes out. She couldn't decide if it was a result of her gratitude, or her worry. She tried to cough, hoping that the feeling would pass, but she knew well in advance that her attempts would prove futile. She tried to think of the good times, but that made her even more nostalgic and upset. She laid her head down next to Tony's waist, continuing to caress his cold and bruised hand in hers. She kissed it gently before pushing her face down into the mattress and letting the tears flow. Muted sobs shook her petite figure, as she cried and cried and cried, unsure what was causing her distress.

She couldn't tell how long she spent like this, but the next thing she knew, somebody was holding her in a tight embrace and stroking her hair. Who would want to do that, unless …

'Tony?' She tried to move, but the strength of the embrace holding her in place didn't subside.

'Hey Pep,' he whispered. His voice was hoarse, and as she looked up she realized that Tony's eyes were glued to the window on the opposite side of the room. He seemed distant, as if his body was with her, but his mind had wandered off. She gently lifted his arm, this time more successfully and sat upright in her chair. Only now did she realize how much weight he had lost. She could practically count the bones in his forearms as she held him, and his hollowed cheeks were not a good sign either. She felt guilty for not noticing earlier. She should have been there for him. Tony told her about Howard once when he was drunk. Now she hurt him in the same way that his father had and this was the result. She left him on his own to go to the stupid conference and he nearly died because of that. She knew she would always remember that confused and pained look in his eyes, to remind her that business should never be more important than your loved ones.

Tony tried to resist her, hold her close, but in this state, he would not win a fight with a child in the playground.

'Tony, how are you feeling?' Pepper had to admit, that she was getting sick of having to constantly ask that question lately.

'Good,' his reply came out as more of a whimper than a firm affirmative statement that it was supposed to be. He still avoided her eyes, hoping against hope that he could continue the conversation, staring at the window. Pepper knew him well enough by now to realize that something wasn't right.

'Tony, how are you feeling?' this time she put on her CEO voice, hoping that he was not brave enough to risk her angry-CEO-self.

'I. am. Feeling. Great. How. Are. You?' he spat out every work venomously through his clenched teeth, putting stress on every single word leaving his mouth. Pepper knew something was terribly wrong. Her Tony was still gone, somewhere out there. He flinched when she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Suddenly she couldn't understand what was happening. However, he made no further attempts at getting rid of her hand, so she just ran it up and down his bicep in an attempt to relax him a bit.

'I know you don't like hospitals, but I'm not having you do anything stupid again. I can't allow it, you know it Tony.' The only reply she received was a tacit nod. He squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his hands into fists around the white bedding.

'Tony? Tony? What's wrong? Does something hurt?' she caressed his cheek and gently pushed his head to the side, so that he was finally facing her.

'Mhm,' he managed to whisper, holding on to the bed sheets like a lifeline and nodding.

'Wait a moment, I'll get someone.' He frantically shook his head and grasped her petite hand in his. Frankly speaking, if she wanted to, she could walk away with no effort, his hold on her being no more than a touch, but maybe he was trying to say that he needed her more than painkillers?'

'N-no. 's fine,' he managed to gasp out. 'Can you just, like…hold my hand or something. Please, Peps…? unless…' She complied immediately, moving from the crude chair on to the softer mattress, making sure not to brush against his injuries. One of her hands immediately found his, as requested, and the other was running through his unkept hair comfortingly. She really wished he allowed her to go and get a doctor. Seeing him so vulnerable and hurt made her heart break into a thousand pieces.

'Unless what…?' she inquired, hoping that keeping him talking would sway his mind away from the pain.

'Well…unless you hate me now or …something…' he turned his head away again. Pepper shifted immediately on the bed, so that she could keep looking him in the eyes. They had started watering and she couldn't say whether it was the healing wounds that caused this, or if there was something else he was so reluctant to share with her.

'Why would you even think this Tony? I'm here, I'll always be here. Why…?' her own voice started shaking again. She needed a deep breath to calm down her nerves.

'I thought…' he paused, looking very thoughtful. 'After what I did, it was as if…Pepper, I'm supposed to protect people, not shoot them spontaneously. I don't know what I…I'm…I'm not…Oh my God, just don't hate me,ok?' Tony Stark was stammering and he even said 'please'. This was definitely not good. If her very presence was not enough to reassure him that she would never, ever hate him, she didn't know what to do. All she wanted to do was hold him close, savor the taste of his lips on hers, give him the comfort that he needed.

'Tony…' He didn't react to her voice. His fists clenched the material of the bedding even harder making his knuckles white, as the tears were now rolling down his cheeks. He knew that it was the body's way of dealing with the physical pain, but he still felt ashamed. He was a billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist, not a baby. He felt the moisture being wiped away by a gentle, caressing touch. Great, so now he could be sure that Pepper noticed. 'Do you think I would be here if I hated you? Do you think I would be the CEO of your company if I hated you? Do you really?' She paused, waiting for a reply. He shook his head after a moment. 'And you saved me and the whole company, remember? That guy was…he was a terrorist, he could have thought earlier about potential dangers of his…profession.'

If she could close her eyes, just to avoid seeing his tired and pained face, she would take the opportunity immediately. His eyes were still glued to the window, and she could still see the consternation on his face; he was still wondering whether he did the right thing.

'So you don't hate me and I love you. We're good, right?' he said after a long moment of silence. He tried to appear cheerful, as his usual self, but he couldn't hide the discomfort he was feeling. Regardless, his reply was rewarded by Pepper's laugh. 'So maybe you wanna give me a kiss now?' And then Pepper melted, because he used his puppy eyes, knowing that it was the one thing she could never resist.

'One condition. No more superheroes until you are perfectly fine again. And even when you're fine, you're not allowed to even get scratched. Otherwise, I might actually hate you.'

'You do realize that that's actually two conditions? And yeah, I get it. I'm sorry.' Pepper realized that maybe threating to hate him was a bit too much, because she could sense the sadness in his voice again. She bent down, and landed a delicate his on his forehead, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

She noticed that he was still extremely tense, and he never stopped clutching the fistfuls of bedding.

'Tony, we should really probably get someone. You can't keep going like this,' her voice was concerned and insistent, but he shook his head, as if trying to convince not only Pepper, but also himself that he could deal with this. After the surgery in a bloody _Afghan cave_ and what happened the last time a doctor was let near him, he decided he didn't like them. And if Tony Stark didn't like somebody, he didn't trust them either.

Pepper gave up the fight and sighed with exasperation. She just carried on reassuring Tony with her presence and occasional caresses to his cheek, covered with rough stubble. Tony didn't know why, but the longer he stayed awake, the worse the pain was getting. He was now starting to regret his little escapade. Now even assaulting the bed sheets didn't provide enough leverage and he started shifting uncomfortably on the bed, trying to find a position that didn't hurt as much as the others. He knew it was a futile task. The more he moved, the worse it would get. He attempted to sigh, to relieve his anger and pain, but it came out as a heart-retching whine instead. Pepper's attention had drifted because of the exhaustion, but that pitiful sound brought her back to the hospital room.

'Sshh, it's okay, you're okay. Tell me anytime you want, and I'll call for someone.'

'Can't _you _just give me some Advil, or…screw that, I'd even go for Motrin at this stage.' He snuggled up to her with great effort, burying his face in her side.

'Do you really have to be such a stubborn…Try to sleep Tony, ok?' she gently pushed him away, so that he was lying back down on the pillow. She was sure he wouldn't be able to rest peacefully in the position they were currently in. Tony protested with a grunt, but soon complied when Pepper drew the covers around him and he shut his eyes tightly. Seconds later, Pepper drifted off in the chair next to the bed and he was gone as well.

**You see? I told you it was crap. I'm sorry but I think that this is going to drag on for longer than I thought. Instead of an epilogue, I'm going to write another chapter, hopefully shorter than this bullshit and then finally finish it off with an epilogue.**

**Again, sorry about making it so long, pointless and crap. If you're still reading REVIEW if you feel like telling me how bad it is and shutting me up. That will save me some time and save you spam from informing you about the update. Feedback is always massively appreciated as well.**

**Cheers**


	14. Chapter 14

**Having had my little breakdown writing the last chapter, I'd like to thank ****Jimenush, Belle97, StarksViolet and a guest**** without whose encouragement this chapter would not have come about **** You're awesome guys and I really hope that I don't disappoint you with this chapter.**

**I'm still not very happy with this chapter, but I won't bother you and will have a chat with my dog instead :P**

**Just a quick note: because of my ridiculously infrequent updates some of you might have forgotten what happened at the beginning of this story, and if that is the case, this chapter might make little sense, so I suggest looking back at it. **

Pepper woke as Tony shifted on the bed, just in time to see him lash out with his hand and smack it on the bedside table, almost knocking down one of the screens standing around the bed. She caught his wrist to prevent him from doing even more damage, but her attempt only resulted in more struggling and tears streaming down Tony's face. The same rodeo all over again, she thought. Pepper's free hand brushed a stroke of hair from Tony's forehead, but never moved back and carried on stroking his unkept hair. She knew he loved it when she did that and even now made the effort to lean into her touch. Although he was no longer in danger of hurting himself, he still seemed distressed and strangled cries kept escaping his lips. Pepper wasn't sure whether she should do this, but she moved Tony so that his head was lying in her lap. He involuntarily tried to clutch at his healing wound, making Pepper curse herself for being so stupid – she was pretty sure that if the doctor found them like this, she would soon turn into the one needing medical attention. To her surprise, Tony shifted himself higher up, so that she had to cradle him to her chest to prevent him from sliding off the bed.

'Stop, let go…you understand? I'm gonna sue you, you bloody idiots…' As Tony was mumbling quietly, his hand travelled down his body to reach for the bandages again. _He was there, he was awake. The nuke managed to cut him open and he was awake and they didn't even care. Like he was when Yinsen cut him open in Afghanistan and cut at his bones and then put a damn electromagnet in his chest and it hurt. _

Had Pepper not known that Tony was not addressing her, she would feel upset. Now her only concern was getting him out of the hell that he was stuck in.

'You won't sue me, honey. You can't tie your shoes without me, remember?' _Oh cool, and Pepper was oooooooowww…take a deep breath. Pepper is there. Good. Maybe she brought Advil…_He leaned into her with all strength he had, his quiet sobs getting lost in the line of her collarbone. _And then he felt the crude operating table being replaced with something nice, soft and warm. Like Pepper. He might be dying in agony, but at least she's there, next to him._

There was only so much Pepper could do to calm the billionaire lying in her arms. Soothing words and gentle caresses failed what felt like hours ago. She needed him to wake up, she needed to be with him. Why did it all have to turn so dire again? In an effort to comfort him, as well as herself, she kissed him gently on the lips, closing her eyes and running her long fingers through his hair continuously. _I wonder what's happening. It actually feels better now. _

To her surprise, he purred in contentment and seconds later his eyes were open, his brown orbs staring at her in confusion, radiating gratefulness and love.

'What the hell?' he looked around quickly, a bit like a scared animal. 'Please, tell me I wasn't dreaming and you just kissed me…' The pain-filled grimace briefly turned into a full-blown smile, because Tony didn't really need to hear the answer.

'My hand hurts…' he mumbled, hissing.

'You hit yourself honey, it's okay now.' His formerly immobilized hand was not held in Pepper's. She was warm and Tony liked warm more than anything.

'Yeah…it's okay. But…um, do you have Advil or something? I need pain meds.' Pepper smiled, seeing that he was finally fully awake and finally no longer plagued by whatever horrors were haunting him seconds before.

'In which case I'm calling for the doc. I think you've had enough, don't you?' In reply he started shaking his head vigorously, and grabbed one of Pepper's arms with both of his and clutched to her desperately. She was surprised, not knowing why he would panic, having been asked such a simple question.

'I don't want him…he's…they're all. No.' Tony closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to regain himself, but he could feel the pain in his gut intensifying just at the thought of what happened the last time this guy laid his hand…or maybe rather his scalpel, on him. Apparently the doctor had a different opinion entirely, as seconds later he was in the room with them, giving Pepper a disapproving look.

'What is this supposed to mean? He must rest. And rest properly.' He was glaring at Pepper from behind his thick glasses.

'I am resting you moron. As opposed to when you decided to spontaneously torture me and…just don't get near me…'

Pepper was completely confused. She had no idea what Tony was talking about and looked to the doctor for an explanation. He shook his head and looked down on the feeble form cradled in Pepper's lap.

'I explained this to you. Would you rather be dead now, Mr. Stark?' his tone was mocking and he was obviously not expecting an answer. 'So…' the man sighed in exasperation. 'How are we feeling?'

'Well, aside from the fact that every time I close my eyes I feel your damn hands right inside me, I feel great. Oh…and I need Advil or morphine or scotch. But then again, I'm not taking it from you, so…'

Tony couldn't do a thing as Pepper tightened her grip on him and the doc disappeared behind her back and fidgeted with the IV drip. Moments later Tony's body slumped in Pepper's arms and his head lolled to the side, as the morphine started taking effect. He seemed confused and scared first, not knowing what was happening and fearing that more agony was on the way.

'It's okay, I've got you,' Pepper whispered in his ear. That was enough to reassure him and the panic was replaced by trust and gratefulness for the blissful relief from the white-hot knives that kept stabbing at his abdomen a few minutes earlier. Tony saw the doctor jotting something down on a flipchart while looking at one of the monitors . The man turned around and was about to leave, but instead suddenly turned around and put a hand on Tony's shoulder.

'It was the only way to do it. And I am really sorry, but it is my duty to save lives and I managed to save yours. If you need to talk about it at some point or maybe…see someone about it, I can help.'

Pepper had no idea what they were talking about, but Tony just nodded and then returned to drooling on her shoulder, his eyes half-closed because of the effects of the drug. Tony knew Pepper so well by now, that he could notice her confusion even through the mist clouding his vision and tugged at her sleeve to attract her attention.

'Tony…do you want to tell me what that was all about? You don't have to if you don't want to.' He realized that Pepper never really found out what happened right after the incident, in the operating theatre. He wanted her to stay out of it, knowing she already had more weight on her shoulders than an ordinary person could hold. This would only upset her more and he believed that if he forgot about it, she would never have to find out. He kept himself busy, first finding a way to cure his injury, then solving the huge intelligence fiasco that even CIA couldn't deal with. Now she was safe, the stocks were picking up again and he realized that he never really forgot. He just covered the memory up. Tony knew that his unwillingness to see doctors would now turn into full-blown fear and hearing clatter of surgical instruments would always make his battered heart skip a bit.

Regardless of the drug circulating in his veins he stiffened at the question. It would be nice to get it off his chest, but he felt like putting this burden on her was unfair on his part. Besides, opening himself up like this wasn't really Tony Stark – style, was it?

Pepper didn't push it, but merely sat in silence, giving Tony the physical comfort he needed so much.

'Well…you know I was pretty messed up when I got here, right? And ummm…I don't know exactly what happened, but…well, when they were trying to…um, _fix _me, like I do with my suits. Interestingly enough, the suits are…' he was speeding up, although his words were now slurred and his gaze distracted. It seemed like he wasn't talking to her anymore.

'And…well…I was supposed to be asleep, but they said…they decreased the dosage of the drug and I could feel everything they did and I just had this nightmare just now and it hurt and I wanted it to stop, and I wanted you to be there and…um, yeah. End of story. Happy? Let's move on.'

'Tony…I'm so terribly sorry. I didn't know. I'm here now, you know. And I'm never leaving you again. I promise.' She kissed the top of his head gently, so as to reassure him that the promise would be kept. A shadow of a smile lingered on Tony's face before he closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into Pepper's shirt even further.

'That so? Thanks…you know, it hurts less now. But I still don't want to be here.' Pepper sighed in contentment, seeing that the real Tony Stark seemed to be creeping around the edges of the conversation.

'You have to be here. Don't act like a child.' Pepper was impressed, as even though Tony was under the influence of morphine now, he still managed to glare in reply. 'Try to get some sleep, Tony.'

'Can't. Not here at least.' Tony's sleepy eyes drifted towards the door, as if he was expecting someone to come in any second and do something terrible. Pepper couldn't help but feel sorry for him. First Afghanistan, then palladium, then this. And she was pretty sure that even when he got better, he wouldn't stop there, because of his recklessness and ideals.

'You can Tony, you just don't want to. I'm here, at least try, ok?' She moved slightly to make Tony more comfortable and started rubbing circles into his back. He nodded absent-mindedly and didn't need to be told twice to get some rest.

XXXXXXX

The next thing he knew was that he was cold and uncomfortable again. Something important was missing, but he couldn't yet decide what it was. His eyes remained closed, but his hand moved over the bedding, searching for Pepper's. Nothing.

He opened his eyes and found himself alone. There was no one else in the room. Most importantly, Pepper Potts was not in the room. He knew it was irrational, but panic swept over him. How long was he out? Did something happen again? Or maybe she just decided that she got fed up with him and left? _ But she promised…_He closed his eyes again, hoping to fall back asleep and find her by his side, when he wakes up again. His attempts failed and soon he was staring at the ceiling, gasping for breath and clutching fistfuls of bedding in his hands. _It's nothing, it's nothing. She probably just went to the toilet. _The blinds were down, so he couldn't even determine what time of the day it was. After a while he started feeling dizzy and stiffened completely when he heard footsteps approaching down the corridor. He propped himself on one elbow, trying to put on a defensive stance, but all that this resulted in was his torn muscles screaming at him as the drug was wearing off and making his vision blur. _The drug is wearing off…so it must have been at least a couple of hours. Where is Pepper? _

When Tony was on the brink of trying to get up and checking for himself stupidly, the answer appeared in the door and was soon seated in the plastic chair by his side.

'Where have you been?' his voice sounded more accusing than he intended it to, but he was still breathing slightly faster than he should and the pain he feared so much was coming back slowly.

'I was talking to the doctor. I didn't think you would wake up when I'm gone.' Only now did Tony notice that Pepper had changed her clothes and she looked refreshed somehow.

'What time is it? And what were you talking about?'

'The time. Well, you slept like a baby for almost three days and we were talking about…'

'Wait, what? Three days? I've got stuff…I've got projects to work on and there's the tower in New York and we were supposed to…'

'Slow down. I wanted to know when I could get you out of here, since you said you didn't like it.' His face suddenly lit up and for a moment Pepper could see that bright spark in his eyes that had been extinguished when he first came back home after the fateful mission.

'And…?' he winced as he spoke, because thanks to all the excitement he moved a bit too rapidly. Pepper noticed and her hand immediately caught his, and she wordlessly coaxed him into laying back down and relaxing again.

'And provided that you stay in bed and allow a doctor to check-up on you every morning, we can be back home tomorrow.' Pepper smiled herself, knowing that this information would liven Tony up a little bit. 'But you have to promise me that you won't do anything stupid again,' she added after a moment, shooting him her CEO-look.

'I'm a genius, of course I'm not stupid. And making you happy pleases me, and I've already told you that you can count on me to please myself.' Tony winked at her, probably for the first time since the unfortunate mission.

'But, Tony. Really, if you need to talk about the…you know. Then I'm here and there are specialists who deal with that kind of thing and we could…'

'Pepper,' he interrupted her, giving her petite hand a gentle squeeze. 'I'll be ok. We'll get an arsenal of morphine and Advil, I'll get back into shape and it'll pass. You said I slept like a baby.'

'Yeah, that was after you almost fell out of bed in your sleep and they doped you up on a dose of painkillers that could knock out a horse.' Her voice suddenly became quieter and the joy that was there seconds ago, has now disappeared.

'I did, I did what? Why? How? I'm sorry Pep.' A long silence descended upon the room. 'It's just this place. I promise, it'll be better at home.' Tony started fidgeting with the edge of the bed sheet, trying to hide his embarrassment from Pepper. She knew him too well not to notice, and slipped a tablet onto his lap, knowing that his super-smart brain finally needed a distraction in a situation like this. He looked gleeful, looking through the news and stocks prices and the moment he greeted JARVIS after another soiree away from his Malibu mansion, he had to try really hard to suppress a grin spreading over his face. 'There's still something missing though…' he murmured, as his chocolate-brown eyes met hears. 'I need…'

'Tony, there is only so much of this stuff that you can take. The doc told you it's addictive,' she sighed with exasperation.

'Oh, come on Pep. I didn't mean that. I just need a smooch.' Her Tony, the real Tony, was definitely coming back, Pepper mused to herself, before her lips met his and she was completely lost in the moment.

**I feel like I need to explain where Tony's sudden breakdown came from. My friend is at med school, and apparently all the people who experience this anesthesia awareness thing go nuts for a while and an awful lot of them even end up killing themselves because of the trauma. I didn't want to whump Tony too badly, cause that brings us back to square one, but now that he got all the other problems out of the way, I thought it'd be weird if he just moved on spontaneously, without ever mentioning it. Especially after seeing IM3 three times in the cinema I realized that Tony is really just a man in a can (regardless of how awesome the man and the can are), and he might get a bit freaked out.**

**Sorry about the rant. I hope you liked the story and THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. Firms don't produce if they don't have customers and writers don't write just to put their works into the drawer and it's thanks to you, my dearest readers, that doing this actually has a proper and worthwhile point. **

**Anyway, REVIEWS are more than welcome as always and I think we've finally got there – an epilogue will be posted soon ;) (unless you DESPERATELY want me to do sth else with it) **

**Cheerio!**


	15. Epilogue

**Hey, that's it! We've made it – the epilogue is here. Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter and your continuous support throughout the whole story!**

**I feel like they're super not-in-character here, but it just happened. Sorry if it didn't come out right. I hope you enjoy. **

_One month later_

'Pepper! Peps…Oh boy…No, no, no, Peeeeeeeps!'

She could only watch in amusement, as Tony tried to balance himself on one end of a gondola and eventually landed in the canal with a loud splash. She was a bit worried at first, knowing how uncomfortable he was with water after his soiree in Afghanistan, but seconds later he was back on the surface, glaring at her playfully.

'Are you finding this funny? Because I'm not.' He swam closer to the edge, keeping his eyes locked on her. She wasn't sure whether her mind wasn't just playing tricks on her, but she would bet her head that a mischievous grin was dancing around the edges of his mouth. 'Come on, help me instead of making fun of me.' He outstretched his hand towards her, pleading for her with his best puppy-eyes he could manage to put on. That grin was really bothering her, but she couldn't help herself and contrary to what her reason was dictating, she held his hand in hers.

Her reason was right. She was never going against it again. Tony's grin grew even wider, as he pulled Pepper towards him and caught her just before she hit the surface of the water.

'Anthony, Edward…'

'Hey, hey! Don't you 'Anthony ' me. T'was your fault, you shouldn't have laughed at me. And nothing happened anyway. You didn't even get wet,' he said and at the same time delicately let go of her, and she found herself in the water up to her waist.

'Not yet, I meant.' The expression on her face was difficult to read, bordering between fury and joy. Hoping for the latter, he drew her closer to himself and kissed her passionately, reveling in the sweet taste of her lip-gloss and enjoying the feel of her hands on the back of his neck .For the last couple of weeks she treated him like a porcelain doll, making sure not to brush against his broken ribs or dislocate the bandages covering his whole abdomen. It was good to finally be able to feel her and be close to her. Gestures always worked better between them that words did.

Tony was brought back to reality when Pepper splashed water on his face, moving away from him and laughing, like she hadn't laughed in ages. Coming to Venice not only made him forget about all the misery and stress of the last few weeks, but also allowed her to relax and simply enjoy some quality time with him. They should have done that ages ago!

When they climbed onto the boat with some help from an amused gondolier, Tony was panting for breath heavily, fearing that his ribs might crack from the pressure of all the laughing. Pepper was by his side immediately, the expression on her face solemn again.

'Pep, relax. I'm fine. I told you and the doctor told you. Even JARVIS, the traitor told you!' She was just too close to him, and he couldn't resist pulling her atop himself and drawing her into another kiss. If anybody asked, it was her fault – she was just too perfect. He was disappointed to find that she was still a bit too delicate than she should be, and he still feared that there was still a fair bit of hesitation in her features.

'Pepper,' he started off, looking her in the eyes. 'I'm sorry…about all this mess, I could have been more careful. And I love you, by the way…Oh and, kinda sorry about pulling you into the canal, that wasn't nice.'

He decided that to prove to Pepper how committed he could be in a relationship, he would even use words such as 'thank you' and 'sorry' regularly. He had to admit, he was quite proud of how well he's been doing so far.

'Tony, you do realize that you don't have to apologize for every single thing that you do, don't you? ' she couldn't help giggling as she was speaking. She felt so happy, knowing that she was probably the only person in the world seeing this playful and honest side of Tony. The side that needed to be accepted, loved and understood, not merely get drunk and sleep with pretty blondes.

'I just want to do good by this, Pepper. I really do.' Now there was virtually no space between them, and as the gondolier was kind enough to mind his own business as the boat was moving through the canals, the situation grew very intimate. Their eyes were locked with each other, fingers intertwined as a gesture of unspoken understanding and support. Tony was smiling at her, his usual self-esteem radiating from the grin, as he saw the love in her eyes and a wordless confirmation that he was doing good was shared between them. Suddenly all the hurt was gone, all the fear was replaced by trust and Anthony Stark, the responsible, badass owner of SI and the ever-reckless defender of America was replaced by Tony. Just Tony, Pepper's Tony.

'And I'm just so very glad that I've got you back, Tony.'

'Of course you are. I am awesome, right honey?'

'You _are_ definitely back. Perhaps even too much so. But I'm still happy.'

When she fell into harms and he held her tight close to his chest, she could only hope and believe that he would not be leaving her again anytime soon.

'I'm back, and I'm not going anywhere any time soon. I love you,' he whispered, as if he could read her mind. A gentle kiss on top of her head sealed that promise.

THE END

**Thank you again and congratulations. You actually made it to the very end. Let me know what you think about this through REVIEWS. If you don't like it, I can always tweak it a bit. How about a little challenge? Can we end up with 80 reviews? **

**My muse is doing really well, so something else should be coming up when I finish my SH story. Then again, something unexpected popped up and I don't know how it'll work out timewise, but I promise to do my best.**

**Cheerio!**


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